


Spit it out, you idiot!

by Ibijau



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Animal Death, Asexual Character, Asexual Relationship, Canon-Typical Violence, Denial, Flirting, Link tries to eat things he shouldn't : the fic, M/M, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Revali appears in chapter 27, Revali will be in this he's just taking his sweet time like in everything I write, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death, Unreliable Narrator, Verbal Link, and it's a character study more than a romance, bokoblin friend, gross food, mostly because they don't meet until way later lol, sheikahs are bastards, this is a slow fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-19
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2020-10-24 05:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 131,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20700356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibijau/pseuds/Ibijau
Summary: Link is told his fate is to save the world, that the Goddess Hylia chose him a hundred years ago for this purpose.But the boy who entered her service died, and Link feels no obligation toward the divinity who let that happen, nor toward the ruined world around him. He'd much rather travel the world with the bokoblin friend he made, and try to see how many things he can eat before Calamity Ganon destroys them all.He never expected to start liking Hyrule and its inhabitants.





	1. Great Plateau Pt1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to "I restarted playing the game just for accuracy's sake: the fic". A lot of it was inspired by conversations with princessofthieves/Hylianfury about what happens in the game if you try to avoid some key stuff.

The first emotion is betrayal. The second is anger. The third is curiosity, and that's the one he goes with as a voice calls for him by name, asking him to open his eyes.

Link does. The room is bright and dark. Blue lights and black metal and red dots. Blue water draining from around him, leaving him cold. He gets up from his empty little pool to look around, though there's not much. There's just the pool, a pedestal, and a door. Link checks the door first, since getting out of that room feels like a very urgent priority. It doesn't have a handle. Doesn't bulge even if he kicks it. It has to open somehow, but he can't see how. His fingers can’t get a hold on the smooth surface. He wastes a long time on that, before finally giving up.

The pedestal is the next thing to examine. There's more blue light on it, and a weird rectangular stone decorated with more of those lights. When he touches it, something reacts and the stone is raised so he can easily grab it. He doesn't.

"That is a sheikah slate," the voice tells him encouragingly. "Take it. It will guide you after your long slumber."

Slumber feels like an understatement. Link doesn't think a nap would have left him this lost. He's not sure though. His mind his mostly blank. All he has is the curiosity he feels. The anger he's refraining. Still, what else can he do but take the slate? He thinks he trusts the voice, at least a little. Beside the slate has something familiar to it. He might have seen it before he fell asleep.

The moment he grabs the slate, the door opens. No wonder he couldn't find a handle, the bars that formed the door rise up in a way he's almost sure doors don't normally do. The slate must have been linked to some sort of mechanism. It's intriguing and if he had tools to open that pedestal and see what's inside... Later perhaps. For now he is more curious about the next room.

It looks very similar to the first room, blue and red light on black metal. What he finds there is mostly rotten boxes, but also some carefully folded clothes in a chest. Those clothes don't really fit him, but seeing them reminds Link that being naked is not, on the whole, something he's supposed to do. At least he's a little less cold that way. The rotten barrels and crates hold nothing of interest, but there's another door, similar to the first save for a large seal on it, and another pedestal. If this place was built by logical people, the pedestal should open that door too.

When he approaches the pedestal, the voice in his head speaks again.

"Hold the sheikah slate to the pedestal," she says, confirming his suspicion. "That will show you the way."

Link can't help but feel annoyed she is guiding him through something to basic. He's just done that a first time, does she think he is stupid? But of course, it's possible the voice is just a figment of his imagination anyway. He doesn't think voices usually come out of the blue like that. 

When this second door opens, it's a lot more dramatic than the first one. This door was clearly designed to tightly keep under lock the contents if the rooms, keeping them away from the outside. Because the outside is right there, so close; Link can see the sun shining on him, feel its warmth on his skin and a breeze of fresh air. 

"Link," the voice calls him. "You are the light. Our light. That must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now go..."

Link doesn't need to be told twice. He runs outside, barely noticing how run down the corridor to freedom is, the rubble under his boots, the grass growing around shallow pools. The broken stairs do get his attention a little, but he can feel the wind coming from outside and that overrides any concern he might have. He climbs up the broken part and runs again until there's grass under his feet and fresh air around him. He runs until he meets a cliff, and stares at the world around him, immense and so  _ bright  _ after the darkness in which he awoke. Everything is so vast and so green and he can go anywhere he pleases because he has no idea who or where he is. He is  _ free _ .

Somewhere to his right, Link spots movement. A figure dressed in dark colours seems to be looking at him, but it doesn't make any signs at him. Link watches it walk toward a fire. It's intriguing. At the same time the dark colours on that figure remind him of the room he was just in, and that's displeasing. Why go to the one dark spot nearby when everything else is bright and beautiful?

Turning away from the figure, Link looks at the hill from which he just emerged. The rocks around the door look climbable. He could get even higher. Higher sounds  _ good _ . Climbing comes easy to him anyway. He's done this before. He's  _ enjoyed  _ this before. He’s enjoying it now. When he's up on the hill, Link notices another campfire. This one belongs to three creatures, red and bright and dancing as they wait for some meat to cook. They look a lot more friendly than that dark figure earlier, so he starts walking towards them, smiling and waving his hand. They answer by squealing angrily. One grabs a weapon and runs toward Link, while the others start throwing stones at him. Link runs away, wondering if he startled them perhaps. He'll have to try again later when they have calmed down. For now he just climbs higher yet, until the voice comes to him again.

"Link, go to the point marked on your sheikah slate," she orders.

Annoyed to be bossed around, Link checks the slate. There's a mark for his position, and a pulsing yellow circle for his destination. It looks far though, and he didn't like the tone of the voice. Surely there's no hurry anyway? Aside from the creatures he startled, everything seems at peace. He can explore a little, maybe find something to eat, and if the voice isn't happy that's her problem.

It's a good, pleasant day. Link finds some mushrooms to eat, fresh and tasty, and a puddle of water he drinks from. It tastes a little muddy, but he saw birds drinking from it so surely it can't be bad. Further away there's an actual river but when he gets too close the temperature drops fast. There's snow on the ground, which doesn't taste of anything, so that makes it nicer than the puddle water. On the other hand, the cold of the snow burns his fingers and his too small clothes offer little protection against the temperature. Link gives up on checking the river for that day, until he can find something warmer to wear.

Without much to do where he is, Link climbs down the cliff again, slow and careful, until he's in front of a small forest. 

A forest  _ filled  _ with mushrooms. 

Night at this point is approaching and a smarter man would look for a place to sleep, but Link is too excited about the prospect of a mushroom feast to care. Those first ones were very good, and here there are new ones. Link has no memory of a life goal, so he gives himself one: to taste all the mushrooms around. 

In the golden light of sunset, Link has fun. He's lucky enough to quickly find a little clearing with nothing in it but some rocky outcrops and many,  _ many  _ mushrooms. It looks like this place has never been harvested, which is odd because Link has seen a camp of red creatures not far and he spotted a fellow mushroom muncher among them. In fact, when he looks back toward the trees, Link sees that same creature has followed him, weapon in hand, and is looking at him hesitantly. Link waves a big, nice, fat mushroom towards it, hoping to lure it closer so they can try to talk. It would be nice to talk. The voice he hears sometimes is more interested in orders than conversation, so she doesn't count. 

Sadly, the creature prefers to lurk under the trees. Its loss. Link was ready to share some of his harvest for a chance to make a friend. Instead he lets the sheikah slate absorb his mushrooms for safe-keeping, and climbs on the outcrop to have a better view of what's left to gather. 

Under him, the rocks start moving. 

Link remembers the word earthquake, and he knows that the ground rising up on its own is, on the whole, not good news.

When the shaking stops, Link finds himself on top of a rocky creature. An angry sounding one, although Link too would be angry at being climbed on, so he can't blame it. The being is moving under him, turning and tossing in a way that clearly aims at getting rid of the unwanted hylian on its head. Understanding that need, Link hops down, landing without much grace but also without hurting himself. He’s done this before. He’s trained for jumping and landing well.

"Hello friend," he says, the sound of his own voice a little strange to him. Maybe he doesn't normally speak much. "Sorry for waking you." 

The creature's only answer is a loud rumble as it raises one arm. It is waving! Link smiles, happy that finally something will communicate, until he realises the arm is actually being thrown at him. He dashes to the side, barely avoiding being hit by massive rocks, but behind him something is touched and cries in pain. The red mushroom friend. 

Without thinking Link dashes to the source of the cry. He is relieved to find the red creature still alive, though after being hit by the huge stones its right arm has a few more bends that it should. The creature looks panicked at the sight of him, but Link doesn't have time to care. Behind, in the clearing, he can still hear the rumbling cries of the rock creature and when he glances that way, he sees it readying another attack. 

Again there's not much thought involved. Link grabs the wounded red creature in his arms (it’s heavier than it looks, but Link discovers he’s stronger than he expected so it’s fine) and runs away with it, saving both of them from being crushed to death. He runs until his lungs are on fire and his feet won't carry him anymore but at least he can't hear the rock creature anymore. 

With that taken care of, Link turns his attention to the red being in his arms. It looks positively terrified of him, but that might just be because it's wounded. Its arm is broken, and dark bruises are starting to appear on its body. It doesn't look like it will die, but Link is fairly sure he's no medical expert. He does have some idea of what must be done though. A broken arm needs a splint so it can heal straight. Luckily they're still in the forest so wood isn't an issue. Putting down in new friend on a grassy patch, Link easily finds a suitable branch. He'll need something to hold the splint in place... But that's easily settled too. The shirt he found that morning is coming apart at the seems anyway, so it's no hard task to rip off the sleeves. With everything he needs ready, Link turns again to his new friend who cannot keep its eyes from the stick in Link's hand.

"It's to help you," Link explains, still surprised at how odd his own voice sounds. "I won't hurt you. My name is Link and I'm your friend."

Unimpressed, the creature scrambles with its good arm to gather some dirt and pebbles and weakly throws them at Link.

"It's okay friend," Link says as soothingly as he can, kneeling down near the terrified creature. "It's been a rough day, but I'll help. Do you have a name?"

When Link touches the wounded arm, the creature cries out in pain, a pathetic little sound.

"So you're Meep, uh ?" Link retorts, trying to keep his voice light. "Well Meep, I won't lie. This will hurt like a bitch. Feel free to shout at me."

And Meep certainly screams its lungs out as Link attempts to put the bones back in the right position, but it soon goes silent and limp. Passed out, not dead, which is a relief. Link firmly attaches the splint in place, hoping he isn’t causing more harm than good. He has the vague feeling he's done that before, but to be honest he has that feeling about nearly everything.

His work finished, Link realises he's exhausted. It has been a very long, very odd day. He should be a little more worried about not knowing who he is and about hearing a voice that gives him orders, but on the whole things are good. There's a lot to explore, mushrooms to eat, and if he's lucky there are friends to be made. What more could he ask for?

Quickly dining on another mushroom, Link takes a few more out of the slate and puts them down near the red being so it has something to eat when it wakes. Then, because he can't keep his eyes open anymore, he lays down near his new friend and quickly drifts to sleep.

Trilling sounds are what wakes Link again. He cracks an eye open to see Meep munching on the mushrooms left for it. The creature stills for a moment when it notices that Link is awake, but the call of the mushrooms is stronger and it starts eating again. Link sits up, slowly to not spook his new friend, and inspect the creature. The right side of its body is covered in black bruises, but it doesn't seemed disturbed by that. Meep also did not rip away the splinter, which means it's intelligent enough to understand the branch is there to help.

"Can you understand me, friend?" Link asks.

His only answer is a trilling sound and a growl. But it  _ is  _ an answer, he's sure of it, and that's good. One of them can learn the other's language. He doesn't mind if it has to be him. To show good will, he mimics the sounds his new friend just made.

Meep stares at him, a frown forming on its face. It growls again, a little lower this time, and Link quickly copies the sound.

Again Meep stares for a second, its frown deepening. The next sound is a trill that Link struggles to repeat perfectly, but Meep's ears perk up at the attempt. It understands what Link is trying to do. The red creature points at the half eaten mushroom on its lap and growls. Link points too and mimics the growl. He's learning, and Meep smiles at him, no longer scared.

It takes a few days for Meep's arm to fully heal, which seems rather fast, but Link can't be sure. Those are a busy few days anyway, spent between looking for mushrooms and learning Meep's language (Meep doesn't seem able to form the sounds Link uses to speak, but it does appear to try and memorise them anyway).

When its arm is back to normal and the splinter removed, Meep offers to take Link to the others like it. It means more friends, so Link readily agrees, gathering more mushrooms along the way since that helped in getting Meep's good graces.

Three red creatures are chatting around a campfire when they arrive. Meep chirps at them to announce their presence, but it is Link that really gets their attention. The three red creatures sniff the air and growl threateningly, showing their teeth in a way that could never be mistaken for a smile. Meep says something while Link tries holding out a big red mushroom their way, but the three of them just get angrier, the largest one grabbing a club and waving it in the air. Meep insists, putting itself between Link and the others, its whole body tense and ready for a fight even though it has no weapon. Link can't let things come to that. He puts down the mushrooms, still wanting to show his goodwill, and backs away slowly, his arms raised to show he's not a threat. 

The three creatures calm a little as he goes away, but Link hears Meep call out to him. He can see his new friend hesitate, glancing between its brethren and the weird pink being that fed it mushrooms for three days. To Link's surprise, Meep growls one last thing at the other three and runs to his side. 

He can't help a smile. 

He's got a friend. 


	2. Great Plateau pt2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link meets a mysterious old man at last, and isn't impressed in the least

Meep stares at Link right in the eye as she brings the caterpillar to her mouth, dropping it between her lips and chewing. Link smirks and does the same. The taste is more acidic than he'd like, something almost burning his tongue. He won't eat that particular type of caterpillar again, but at least now he knows. There's a _lot_ of things he won't eat again after two days at Meep's side, but there are also quite a few he'll gladly have again. Like those snails they found under a rock, or those weird purple mushrooms had had to climb a cliff to get. 

Life with Meep is fun. 

Link doesn't hear the voice again, and he doesn't approach the dark figure near his prison. He  _ does  _ check his slate sometimes, wondering if he should go near that glowing point. He's in no hurry to check it, but Meep is slowly taking him that way anyway. There's a place with frogs (at least that's what he thinks she means) and she wants him to have a taste. It sounds gross. Link  _ loves  _ the idea. 

When they do catch a frog it's slimy and stinky. Link wonders if cooking it would improve the flavour, but it's not an option at the moment. Meep's brethren still don't want him in their camps, and he doesn't have anything to start his own fire. Still, he longs for cooked food. The dark figure near the prison had a fire... Meep has made it clear she doesn't like the figure, but the perspective of cooking something is so appealing. Link makes it clear he'll protect her if there's trouble, just as she's protected him from the others like herself, and she agrees to try.

But as they head toward the prison, they pass by the glowing spot on the map and Link gets curious. There's not much there at first glance, just another outcrop like the dozen others around them. But as he walks around it, he discovers a hollow place with a pedestal, identical to the ones in his prison. It's odd to see one in the wild like that. Meep sniffs around and licks the metal, but doesn't seem too impressed by this non-edible find. Still, Link is curious. The previous pedestals were for opening doors. What will this one do?

"Place the sheikah slate in the pedestal" a cold, artificial voice informs him as he gets closer. 

Link obeys, wondering where the voice comes from. The slate fits perfectly into the pedestal, and its light spreads to the black metal around. 

"Sheikah tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks." 

Link barely has time to grab Meep as the ground under them starts shaking, stronger than it had with the rock creature that had brought them together. They both fall to the floor, clinging to each other, Link regretting dearly his curiosity as he feels something push them upward. 

When it stopped, the cold voice rang again. 

"Distilling local information," it says, a stone glowing blue above the pedestal. "Regional map extracted." 

The slate is raised again and Link scrambles to his knees to get it back. There is a map there, though most of it is still black. 

Link helps Meep back to her feet, wondering what they're supposed to do now, when he hears the girl again. 

"Remember," she demands. "Try to remember. You have been asleep for a hundred years." 

This time the voice doesn't just come from his head. Instead it springs from somewhere in the distance, a large structure Link can see far away where a light shines with each word. He takes a few steps in that direction only to feel the ground shake again. This time it is because far in the distance, a great dark cloud rises around that structure that harbours the voice. 

"The Beast. When the Beast regains its true power, this world will face its end. Now then..." 

The light, for a second, shines brighter, and the dreadful cloud disappears. 

"You must hurry, Link. Before it's too late!" 

Link stares in the distance for a moment, trying to make sense of what he's just heard. A hundred years seems a little excessive for a nap. At the same time, he doesn't think the voice lied. 

"Did you hear all that?" he asks Meep in hylian. 

She only tilts her head at the question, which Link decides mean she didn't hear. Perhaps the voice really was just in his head then. He could still see a darkness around that faraway place though, so  _ that  _ he might not have imagined. 

Well, that had been an experience. It's time now to go back to solid ground and  _ never again _ get near one of those blasted pedestals. Luckily there is an opening on the tower's floor leading to a series of platform. Link jumps down the first one, but Meep hesitates until he opens his arms to signify he will catch her. Which he does, but with less ease than he would like because his friend is heavier than he remembers. She felt lighter when they ran from the stone monster. 

It is a long way down. 

But at last Link touches actual dirt ground, warm and solid under his feet. Before he can help Meep down from the last platform though, a new voice calls out to him and he sees the dark figure from the first day float down and land near him. 

"My, my... It would seem we have quite the enigma here.,” the figure says. It’s a man. An old one. “This tower and others just like it have erupted across the land, one after another. It is almost as though... a long dormant power has awoken quite suddenly. If you do not mind me asking... Did anything... Occur while you were atop that tower?"

Link doesn't answer. What happened on the tower was weird, and he doesn't want to share it with some random stranger who hasn't even introduced himself. 

"You need not conceal the truth from me,” the old man says with a smile that tries to hard at being benevolent. “Truth be told, I saw the whole thing unfold from afar, although I could not hear anything. I  _ did  _ see you react as if you heard something coming from the direction of the castle..."

Link startles and glances up. It's impossible to see what's on top of the tower from the ground. It'd be hard to see anything even from a higher ground unless you knew where to stand. This asks a question: Is that odd man spying on him?

"Hit the nail on the head, did I?" the stranger chuckles. "And did you happen to recognise this mysterious voice?"

Again Link remains silent. He doesn't like that the man knows about the voice, when Meep was  _ right there _ and she didn't hear it. He also doesn't like that the man is asking so many questions as if he has a right to Link's answers. 

"It seems I have some work to do as far as earning your trust goes," the old man notes, not that he takes it as a hint to leave Link alone. "I suppose that is understandable. I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle."

The man points at the structure Link has seen. A castle then. That sounds right. Link knows roughly what a castle is: a big house for people with too much money and power. 

"That... Is Calamity Ganon," the old man explains, glaring at the castle. "One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin." 

So this place is called Hyrule. It sounds right, like something Link used to know. 

"It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There is festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again. It would appear that moment is fast approaching... "

There is a slight trembling in the old man's voice, but Link can't blame him. The more he looks at that shadowy castle, the more familiar it looks. He has seen it before, in that same dreadful state. A thought hits him: it's  _ because  _ he was close to it at one point that he was put to rest in his prison. That thing, that Ganon, is powerful, more than Link himself can ever hope to be. 

"I must ask you, courageous one... Do you intend to make your way to the castle? "

The question is so ridiculous Link can only stare. He's not going anywhere near that mess, ever. It's killed him once, he's not stupid enough to try again. 

_ Oh _ . That's right, he realises. He died. Perhaps not in the castle itself, but as a result of it. It's an odd thought for sure. 

"You need not say a word," the old man proclaims. "Your eyes reveal the determination within." 

Link stares some more, amazed at how badly the old man reads his silence. Or maybe he's just that used to getting his way that he can't conceive some people might have their own opinion. He half wants to tell that old fool to leave him alone, but something about the man makes it difficult to speak. Why though? There's nothing special about that old woodcutter. 

Ignorant of Link's disdain, the old man prattles on. "Here, on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs with no way down. If you were to try to jump off, well... No death could be more certain. Or more foolish. Of course if you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story. "

That is probably the first interesting thing the man has said so far. Link is sure that exploring the plateau alone will take a while, but there must be so much to see and eat down there... Link makes a gesture to ask for the paraglider. 

"Oho! Certainly!" the old man laughs. "Why not? But there is no such thing as a free item in this world, you know. Let's see now... How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby? Come. Let me show you something."

Immediately Link loses interest in the glider. Not because the idea of an exchange annoys him, but because he doesn't feel like following that weird old man who knows too much. Besides, after being ignored for too long on her platform, Meep calls out for Link to help her down. He doesn't register the way the old man freezes at the noise and goes at the foot of the tower, welcoming his friend with open arms and grabbing her when she jumps.

"Don't let it bite you!" the old man shouts behind him. "Throw it away and run here, I'll give you my axe to finish it off!"

Ignoring the man, Link puts down Meep who seems relieved to be back on the ground. They are  _ not  _ doing that again. No more pedestals unless he knows for sure what they do. 

"That's a _bokoblin_," the old man insists, and now Link notices the slight panic in his voice. "You need to kill it before it kills you!" 

Link looks down at Meep. So she's a bokoblin. It's nice to have a word for her kind. As to killing her... Who could look at Meep's happy face when she chomped on an apple and even conceive of _murdering her_? Not to mention she had more than earned Link's trust, unlike the old man. 

" **Find food** ," Link grunts down at Meep. She hesitates, glancing at the old man and his axe, so Link moves aside to stand between them. Link would say his choice is made, but honestly there never was any doubt possible. 

"You _must_ come with me," the old man insists, even as Link and Meep turn away from him. "I must explain to you..." 

But Link doesn't hear the rest. Meep is half explaining and half gesturing that she's going to try and get a bow from another bokoblin camp so they can try hunting. Now that's a lot more exciting than some treasure offered by a creep.


	3. Great Plateau pt3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting an old enemy and finding a new toy

Link isn't too proficient with a bow, something which he feels he's been told often. He can aim and he can shoot his target, but he doesn't have the same accuracy as Meep who can hit a bird's eye without a second's hesitation. Once roasted (she gets permission from a group of bokoblins, so long as Link stays away) the bird is delicious, the best thing he's had since waking up. He needs to eat more cooked food, he decides. He needs to taste everything raw  _ and  _ cooked to check the difference between the two. 

The downside of that new ambition is that they've already explored nearly the entire temperate part of the plateau. They're just missing a part where the woodcutter lives and that Meep has tried to avoid so far. There's an old house there that bokoblins have always avoided, and some months earlier the old man just started living there without anyone knowing how he arrived. At least, that's what Link understands of her explanation. 

Link wouldn't mind staying away, but Meep mentioned that it's good hunting ground for birds and lizards. That sounds both delicious and interesting. 

From the forest, they start making their way toward that house. On their way they spot a small structure, black metal with red light, reminiscent of the pedestals. Link would be tempted to check that out, but he sees the old man nearby and that dampens his curiosity. He's not helping that creep get whatever treasure he's lusting after. He can feel the glare of the old man the entire time they're in his field of vision, but the woodcutter doesn't come to them. Too proud, Link guesses. Or too scared of Meep perhaps. 

They pass the tower and, around night, arrive near some ruins that look a nice place to sleep. Yet when Link starts going that way, Meep goes absolutely crazy, screaming and pulling on what's left of his shirt to stop him. 

" **Bad** !" she yells. " **Big bad** !" 

" **Stone Monster** ?" 

Meep shakes her head. Actually, her whole body is shaking. "**Big, big bad!**" she uses a word Link hasn't learned yet. The name of whatever terrible thing lies within the ruins, probably. He's never seen her this panicked before, except maybe at their first meeting when she was wounded and hadn't understood yet he was trying to help. 

Link gives up on the ruins for the moment. They set camp under a tree and eat what's left of their roast bird. It's good even cold but the taste is different, forcing Link to consider the idea that he might need to try all cooked food hot  _ and  _ cold. 

When Meep is asleep, Link gets up and walks to the ruins. He needs to see what has the power to terrify his friend so entirely. He also needs to check if nothing tasty is using this monster as a shield. There were so  _ many  _ mushrooms around the stone monster, surely something more dangerous might harbour a nice secret too? As silently as he can, Link enters the ruins, keeping close to the walls, watching around carefully until he arrives in what might have been a courtyard or a great all once. Either way it's a fairly open space with nothing in it but a funny looking sculpture. It reminds Link of the pedestals for some reason. It also sends his heart racing, which doesn't make sense. It's just a big dumb statue, surely it can't be the bad thing Meep talked about? 

Link takes a step forward. 

The statue lights up. 

Angry red lights appear all over it save for its eye that is a bright, cold blue, the head turning around until that dreadful eye finds Link. The statue's head stops moving as it takes aim and Link, seized by terror, can't move. This is how he'll die.

No, this is how he  _ died already _ . That blue eye and loud beeping killed him once already. That's how he ended up in his prison. He's not letting that happen again. 

Link goes running just in time to avoid a blast that would have destroyed him. A smarter man would have run back out of the ruins, but in his panic Link runs forward until he meets a wall. Behind him, the statue starts beeping again. Link hurriedly climbs up the wall and jumps on the other side, narrowly avoiding another blast. On the other side the machine still looks for him, he can tell by the clanging noises, but no beeping means that thing can't aim for what it doesn't see.

Falling to his knees, Link chuckles joylessly. Meep was right about this being a big bad. He could have happily lived the rest of his life without ever seeing another guardian. Which is their name, he realises.  _ Guardians _ . And if there's one, others might be near. They never went alone, their strength residing in numbers as much as in their deadly blast. But this time he has survived. 

He will  _ not  _ die again. 

After taking a minute to calm down, Link looks around. He's in what must have been another big room once, but all that's left is crumbled walls and a strange structure like the one he saw earlier, black metal and orange lights, its entrance closed. There is, also, a pedestal next to that blocked door. 

Sure, Link said just two days that he wasn't messing with pedestals anymore, but this time he can  _ see  _ what it will do. A closed door near a pedestal can mean only one thing. Maybe he should warn Meep of his discovery, but... but that means getting near the guardian again and his heart is still racing from that encounter. So on the one hand, a guardian. On the other hand, a pedestal. And didn't the old man say something about treasures? Link doesn't think he'll find anything actually interesting in there, but it will nag at him if he doesn't actually check. 

When he puts his slate onto the pedestal, the door opens as Link hoped, but the structure is empty. That's even more disappointing than Link expected, so he walks inside to check for anything hidden. That turns out to be a mistake when he stepped on a circular portion of the floor which started moving down, blue light surrounding him and preventing his escape. 

"Fuck you!" Link shouts at whoever had designed the trap, banging his fists against the light screen. "When I get out you'll regret it!" 

There's no answer to his rage. He doesn't expect one. 

The small platform keeps going down until it reaches a large room, probably as big as the one above ground. It's nearly empty, but when Link steps down from the platform, he hears a voice coming from everywhere at once. 

"To you who set foot in this shrine, I am Ja Baij. In the name of the goddess hylia I offer this trial"

"Keep your trials to yourself," Link grumbles, inspecting the pedestal near the elevator. It doesn't react to his sheikah slate, although Link is almost sure it  _ should _ . Perhaps whoever designed this place can feel that Link won't come back if he's allowed to leave. He's  _ trapped _ .

There's not even anything of interest in there. Just another blasted pedestal, a bigger one like inside the tower, and walls all around. One wall is different, if he looks closely. Stone instead of metal. Bad stone at that, something tells him. There's cracks here and there, some of which turn out to be very deep when he comes closer to look. Shoddy construction. The whole thing will collapse at the first chance it's given. It's not even tasty rock either, so why bother? 

The thought of rocks being tasty forces him to pause for a second. He's almost sure stones  _ aren't  _ part of his diet. They sure aren't part of Meep's, or she would have shared some already. Still he's sure he's heard of rocks described in terms of taste, more than once. Someone he knew. Someone he liked. If he concentrates, Link can feel warmth and protection and joy for a second before an overwhelming sense of loss drowns them, taking his breath away. 

He knew someone. They are dead. 

After a hundred years, almost  _ everyone  _ will be dead. He can't decide if that's good or bad. Better not to think about it at all then. 

Still, that bad wall... Leaning forward, Link gives the stone a quick lick, just in case it is tasty. It's not. 

With that settled, Link turns his attention to that large pedestal and sighs. That's his only choice. He puts down the slate on it, and hears a voice. Not the one that welcomed him, but one cold and artificial like on the tower. 

"Sheikah slate authenticated. Distilling rune..." the pedestal lights up in blue, again like in the tower. If he's projected in the sky again, Link will  _ scream _ . "Rune extracted. Bomb rune accessible." 

At the word bomb, Link's ears perk up. He  _ knows  _ what bombs are. He might  _ like  _ bombs, actually. He presses a button on the side of the slate, select an option, presses again... And a sphere appears in his hand, weighing nearly nothing but still tangible and glowing in that blue shade everything else does. If he knocks on it, the sound is hollow, so it's unclear how it's supposed to explode. Still, Link can guess what's expected of him, so he throws the bomb toward the shoddy wall and runs as far away as he can before pressing the button again. 

Boom, goes the bomb, blasting away the cracked rock, easy as anything. 

Link smirks. Oh, he likes bombs all right. 

Not long after Link is approaching a shrine of sorts, a nice sword in hand which he found by exploding yet more walls. There's a creature in that shrine, protected by a blue light similar to that of the elevator. Another trial perhaps. Link grins, ready to blast anything that will attack him with those nifty little bombs of his. He presses his hand against a symbol on the light screen, convinced that will release his enemy. Instead he hears a voice, the same one that spoke when he first entered that place. 

"You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero. I am Ja Baij, creator of this trial. I am humble monk blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to help those who seek to defeat Ganon." 

The name Hylia rings in Link's mind like a discordant note. Back when he was that boy who died, he's called it out often, in the desperate silence of his own mind, not daring to say the words out loud. Not until that last guardian. He used to praise her, but his last shout, his last thoughts were a curse directed at that goddess who had condemned them. 

"With your arrival my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of the Goddess Hylia allow me to bestow this gift upon you... Please accept this spirit orb." 

Before Link can say he'd appreciate if he never had to hear Hylia's name again, a small dark ball materialises in front of him, bearing a familiar crest. Link grabs it and brings it to his face to lick it. It doesn't taste of anything, but it makes his tongue a little tingly in an unpleasant way. Not food. He lets the slate absorb it anyway.

"May the goddess smile upon you," the voice says with some hesitation, as if it hadn't expected Link to _taste_ its precious relic. Well Link didn't expect that odd figure on the shrine to disappear so they're even. He's also surprised when blue light surrounds him, flashing so bright that he has to close his eyes. 

When he opens them again, Link is back in the ruins, the odd structure somehow darker in the glowing light of the rising sun. He's stayed in there too long. Hopefully Meep won't have noticed his absence and if she did, she hasn't worried too much. Not that he gets much time to think about that, because the old man glides down next to him out of nowhere and lands nearby without apparently alerting the guardian on the other side of the wall. Unfair. 

"It seems you managed to get your hands on a spirit orb," the old man notes with a smug smile. "It might not have been the shrine I had in mind, but the result is the same." 

So that odd little ball was the treasure? It's even more disappointing than Link would have expected. Still, doesn't that mean he technically fulfilled their deal? He holds out his hand, waiting for his reward.

"I encourage you to slow down for a moment, my courageous friend. The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine... It is all connected to that sheikah slate you carry on your hip there."

They are not friends, Link wants to say, and he doesn't care about any of that business. What are shrines and towers to him? He points at the glider and holds his hand again, tapping his foot. They had a  _ deal _ . 

"I have yet to finish speaking!" the old man protest, his voice drier for a second before he forces back a mellow smile. "Long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the sheikah inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this kingdom time and time again. But their ancient technology disappeared long ago... Or so it is said." 

Link sighs and rolls his eyes. A lot of things seem to have disappeared from Hyrule, such as being polite enough to honour deals quickly. The old man, of course, pretends not to notice his impatience. 

"It is interesting, however, to think... How something like that survived all this time, hidden away in a shrine. These shrines are tucked away in numerous places all across this land. On this plateau alone, I believe there are still three more. Bring me the treasure from each of those shrines... And I will give you my paraglider."

"That's not the deal!" Link explodes, whatever usually keeps him silent around the old man overpowered by anger.

"Oh? Well I suppose I changed my mind," the woodcutter retorts, no longer bothering to smile. "Consider it the price of your insolence when you left with that creature, which I'm glad you finally got rid of. Besides, I'm sure that won't be a problem for a young go-getter like you!" 

It takes Link a lot of effort not to react, but he makes a mental note: the old man isn't as omniscient as he wants to pretend, and his spying on Link is lacking. Still he'd feel better if the old creep just left him alone. 

No such luck.

"Since I'm feeling generous, I will also teach you a trick for finding shrines," the old man announces, his voice mellow once again. "It's always best to survey the area by looking around from a high point. Let's see here... How about you make your way to the top of that tower again?" 

Link glances toward the tower, half hidden by trees, then glares at the woodcutter. He's not going back up there. Ever. 

The old man smirks at him with such condescension it makes Link want to try out his new sword. Killing is wrong but so is being an asshole stalker, so it should cancel out,  _ right _ ? 

"Do not worry!" the old man says, patronising. "I have another little trick to share with you for your effort. Take a look at the map on your sheikah slate. See those blue icons? You should recognize the cave where you woke, the shrine you came from, and the tower. You can travel instantly to any of those places with the sheikah slate."

There, at last, his smugness wavers a little and he looks at the shrine with something akin to uncertainty. "Or so I heard quite some time ago... I do not know if it actually works as such."

He almost looks sad now, and Link could  _ almost  _ be interested in that if the old man hadn't been trying to manipulate him with every word he says. Link doesn't care about Hyrule and sheikahs. He barely even cares about the paraglider, certain it can't be of much value if the old man is so willing to part with it. 

What he  _ does  _ care about is Meep, who is certainly awake by now, and must wonder where he's gone. So without another thought for the old man he climbs up the wall and starts running to avoid the guardian's mortal gaze. 

* * *

For a full day, Meep and Link have a lot of fun with the bombs. Seeing something explode is intensely gratifying. Seeing trees fall and rocks disintegrate is the most exciting thing Link has ever done in his life (which, granted, isn't a full two weeks yet). They are a menace on the ecosystem but Meep insists that it's fine and the moon will take care of it. Still Link feels a little bad when they accidentally kill a boar. It's not too dramatic because Meep gives most of the remains to the group of bokoblin that exchange it for a bow, and the two of them eat what's left (the flavor is strong and a little burned from the blast since they kept the most damaged part). Still it forces Link to consider how dangerous his new toy is. It could have been Meep instead of that boar. Or more likely it could have been  _ him _ , since his friend has a little more common sense. 

So Link comes up with a new game: throwing bombs over the plateau's edge and seeing how close to the ground he can make them explode. Harmless fun. Anything still hanging out under them after the first bomb deserves what's coming at them. Link cheerfully lets Meep try it too, handing her the slate so she can play a bit and he can watch the explosion better. 

That's how he falls off the cliff, leaning forward too much. 

Or at least, he thinks he fell. One second Link could feel himself slipping, the ground no longer under his feet. Next second he's lying down in the grass, breathlessly staring at the sky. When he sits up, he sees Meep still at the edge of the cliff, screaming for him. 

"Well that was weird," he grunts. 

Nothing hurts, not exactly, but it's still something he'd rather not experience again. Except he might, because it reminds him of something the old man said, about it being impossible to leave the plateau. He stands up, ignoring Meep's relieved cries when she sees he's still there. She doesn't get to enjoy that relief for long because Link jumps down. 

And opens his eyes on the grass again, almost instantly. 

The third try yields the same result. As does the fourth. The fifth time Link tries to jump Meep grasps his arm and launches him away from the cliff's edge, growling menacingly at him. 

"They trapped me!" Link shouts at her, even knowing she can't understand. Half an hour ago he would have been content living the rest of his days on that lovely plateau, but now that he knows it's a _prison_... "I've got to go. We've got to go Meep! We've got to find a way!" 

Meep only stares, her posture still tense and ready to tackle Link if he tries to jump again. Which he won't. Four times is enough to prove that jumping won't work. Perhaps climbing... But that's a long way down, Meep doesn't climb too well, and there is no way he's leaving without her. 

No jumping and no climbing. The old man hinted that his glider could get them off the plateau, but dealing with him is a last resort. There had to be a way down. The boars and bokoblins, even the woodcutter, they had to have arrived up there somehow, right? There's a whole area of the plateau they haven't explored yet because of the cold around the river. It would be the perfect place to hide a passage. His map doesn't show anything of course, but can he really trust it? 

" **Good now** ," he tells Meep, who still watches him like a hawk. He points at the snow covered peak, then at his thin shirt. " **Need hot** ."

Meep doesn't answer, but she relaxes a little and tilts her head curiously. It's fine if she doesn't know, because Link is getting an idea. Bokoblin don't seem to need clothes, but he knows someone on this plateau who does. 

It's time to pay that old man's house a visit, preferably while he isn't home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this and I swear the Great Plateau stuff is over


	4. Great Plateau pt4

Link exits the shrine and waves at Meep who answers by hitting him in the face with a snowball. An efficient way to tell him he's been gone too long for her tastes. It didn't feel long to him, but keeping track of time is hard down there. 

To make up for it, Link throws the slate at Meep so she can play with the new rune. He is instantly forgiven when she creates her first ice pillar only to destroy it with an amused cackle. 

This is his third shrine. He doesn't like undertaking this trial the plateau is pushing upon him, but it is their only way out. They didn't find a safe way down. Even after stealing some warm clothes from the woodcutter's house. Even after thoroughly exploring the southern part of the plateau. Even after sending Meep to interrogate the other bokoblins (while she was doing that, Link took his chance and tried to climb down, just to see: something made him lose his grip and he awoke in the snow. He didn't try again). 

That had left the shrines as his only option, since that blasted old man wanted the spirit orbs to trade for his damn paraglider. At least the slate's new features are fun. Bombs are still Link's favourite, but he likes the stasis too, and cryonis looks promising as well so long as he doesn't let his fingers freeze on the ice. He's mildly excited to discover what power hides in the last shrine, even if exploring them is a hassle. There was a small guardian in Keh Namut shrine, and while he managed to destroy it, he's sure the surprise of that encounter took five years of his life.

When Meep grows tired of their new toy, they get ready to head back down. Just one more shrine to go, and they might be free. 

In Oman Au shrine there is another small guardian, but it's easier to destroy. Magnesis is a fun tool indeed. The metal warrior isn't so impressive after being beat up with a metal cube, gears scattered around. It looks like a small spider squashed under a boot. Link grabs some of the gears, gives one a lick: metal and that fuzzy feeling he got from the spirit orb too. Magic, he suspects. Whatever it is, the taste is unpleasant.

By the time Link exits this last shrine, the sun has started going down. He can see Meep in the distance with a band of bokoblin and takes a step towards her, but a too familiar laughter stops him in his tracks. The old man is there, gliding down out of nowhere. Literally. There is only the cliff on the side he's coming from, so how did he manage that? 

As before he lands too close to Link, looking far too self satisfied. 

"With this you have now acquired all of the spirit orbs from the shrine on this plateau. Oho ho! Extraordinary! That means... It is finally time. Link it is _ finally _time for me to tell you everything." 

That sounds like a lie, Link decides. The old man doesn't give the impression of a man who would ever tell the whole truth. 

"But first... Imagine an X on your map, with the four shrines as the end points. Find the spot where those lines intersect. I shall wait for you there. Do you understand?" 

Link nods, annoyed at this new challenge. How hard is it to just _ tell _ him where to go? Or better yet, to simply _ give _him the damn glider already? He's got the orbs, he's held his part of the deal, now it's the old man's turn. 

But as soon as Link nods his agreement to this new condition, the old man changes. Blue flames surround him and he becomes... less present. 

"Where two lines connecting the shrines would cross... There... I will be... waiting..." the woodcutter insists, before disappearing. 

That's. Odd. Link is _ nearly _certain that most people can't do that. At the same time, the plateau is an odd place. Most people can't jump off a cliff and feel only a mild inconvenience either. It's a beautiful place up here, but the weirdness of it is started to creep Link out. 

At least Meep is a good, solid, _real_ person to lean on. She smiles when Link approaches, and motions for him to come closer. The other bokoblins look a little wary of him but don't even reach for their weapons this time. A few more weeks and they might accept him entirely. It wouldn't be so bad. They always seem to be having fun. 

"**Old man**?" Meep asks as Link sits next to her. 

Link shrugs with a grunt. Meep huffs, as if she'd expected another trick, and hands Link a bit of roasted meat she had saved for him. He takes it, glad for anything that will rid him of the lingering aftertaste of the guardian's metal. Chewing on slightly burned meat, Link checks the sheikah slate's map. He quickly gets angry at the old man. How hard would it have been to say '_ meet me at the temple of time, you know, the only building still standing that you won't be able to miss? _'. But no, it's more fun to play games, isn't it?

"**We go** ," Link announces, pointing at the belfry. "**Old man waits**."

"**Bad place** ," Meep growls, face twisted in disgust. She pats the grass. "**I wait.**" 

It's not unexpected, and it's probably for the best if the old man doesn't get to see Meep is still around. He's enough of a bastard he might use it as an excuse to keep the glider to himself. 

When he's done eating, Link sets out. Alone, for the first time since waking up. No, since... Even before that. He hasn't had the chance to be away from people a lot. He can almost visualise crowds around him though not gathered _ for _him. An empty ache. The word loneliness comes to mind. The boy who used to inhabit his body certainly had an odd life. 

Of course, when Link gets to that blasted temple, the old man isn't there. It doesn't help that night has fully fallen and the slim moon doesn't offer much light. Not to say everything is dark, though. As Link circles the large building in search of the woodcutter, he can't help but notice a glow coming from within the ruined temple. It doesn't flicker like fire, and it doesn't give the bluish tint of shrine lights. Something new then. Link walks back to the great door, determined to investigate. As he glances inside, his heart beats too fast and his dinner is fighting to escape, but he forces himself to step into the temple and walk to that light. New things are good, he reminds himself. He _ likes _new things.

When he gets to the source of the glow, Link stops and looks up. There's a huge statue of a winged woman, surrounded by smaller versions of it. Sweat starts pearling on his skin just staring at that statue, his heart beating so hard he can hear it. Link wants to run away but before he can, a voice speaks to him, not unlike that of the girl he's heard a few times. 

"You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their spirit orbs... I can offer you great power." 

_ Keep it _ , Link tries to scream, but no sound leaves his throat. _ I don't want anything from you _. 

"I will emplify your being," the voice insists, nothing in its town indicating it felt his distress. Link sees his four spirit orbs leave the sheikah slate, lifted by light and hurled at him. They hit his chest at great speed but there is no pain, only warmth and the flashing image of a girl crying in front of a statue similar to this one. 

"Go and bring peace to Hyrule."

Shaking so bad he almost falls to his knees, Link wipes tears from his eyes, his breath ragged. It was a mistake to come near that thing, to let it do whatever it just did. He can feel the anger of the boy who died a hundred years ago, a sense of betrayal. He shouldn't have come near the statue. He cannot _stay_ near the statue, and Link realises he's already running toward a collapsed wall, the nearest way out of that blasted temple. 

Only on the other side of that wall can Link get his breath back, though his heart is still thundering. If this was a trap set by the old man... And it _ has _to be. He must have known Link would get curious about the glowing statue, that it would react to the orbs. But what for? He doesn't feel any different after absorbing the orbs yet he knows something has changed. 

What to do now though? After this new trick, the paraglider doesn't really seem worth the effort anymore. 

And yet, it is. The glider is important, Link realises, a wave of anger accompanying the thought. He needs it. He _ wants _ it. If he can only find that damned old crook and get back what's _ his_. The old man said he'd be at the temple and while he's a liar, it's out of character for him not to at least be there to lay out some new stupid challenge. If he's not around the temple and not in it... 

Link's eyes dart up. The roof is almost intact and in the dark, he can just barely spot a ladder going up there. It would be just like the old man to pick the least accessible spot to hide. And indeed when Link climbs up, he sees the old man waiting in the belfry, still surrounded by blue flames. 

"Well done there young one!" the old man greets him once Link has joined him inside the belfry. "Now then, the time has come to show you who I truly am. I was king Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. I was... the last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom that no longer exists." 

There is light that forces Link to close his eyes, and an unpleasant taste in the air, close to what he felt licking the spirit orb. When Link opens his eyes again, the old man is wearing glorious clothes of precious fabrics and gold. His face is no longer hidden under a hood and as soon as he sees it, Link is hit by a thought: he _ despises _this man. 

"The great Calamity was merciless," Rhoam states, pretending he cannot see Link baring his teeth like an angry wolf. "It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago. It was then that my life was taken away from me. And since that time here I have remained in spirit form. I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile." 

Link wants to protest his memory is just fine. He remembers hating the late king, _ long _ before his death. He remembers having good reasons for it, though which exactly escapes him. But there's something about Rhoam's presence that takes his voice away. He was taught to be _ silent _in front of the king, and that habit didn't die when he did. 

Rhoam, still either oblivious or pretending to be, walks to the window to gaze at what was once his castle. 

"Rather than that I thought it best to assume a temporary form. Forgive me," Rhoam orders, looking like a man who has never had to care about the feelings of others and dislikes having to do it now. "I think you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago." 

That is the last thing Link wants. He _ knows _what happened. A boy that was and wasn't him died, killed by a guardian. The rest isn't his problem. He presses the flat of his hands against his ears, but Rhoam's discorporeal voice cannot so easily be blocked. 

"To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created the horror you see now. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales. But there was also... a prophecy: ‘_ the signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose him lie dormant beneath the ground _’." 

Link presses his hands harder against the side of his head. Unwanted images flash through his mind. A deep wound dug into the ground. Excitement. Hope. People, taller than him. A stern voice telling him to be quiet. Mind the sword. Do not let it drag. Mind the sword. Don't fall. 

"We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. This coincided with ancient legends, oft repeated throughout our land."

Link closes his eyes, but the images are still there, vivid. Tall monsters that scared him. Crawling guardians, funny, warm to the touch in the sun. Adorable, almost. They're only an aid. You have the sword, it will rest on your shoulders. His arms aching from training. And hope. Hope, hope, _ so much hope _. She would look out for him. He he gave Her everything, She would look out for him. 

"We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics." 

Train harder. Mind your form. A tapestry. A man who looks nothing like him brandishing a sword just like his. Fear and hope. Train harder. Give Her all your thoughts. She will provide. No friends, no fun, no voice, but he has _Her_ and She _ loves _him, or She wouldn't have chosen him. 

"One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestor's path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. With the princess as their commanders we dubbed these pilots champions, a name that would solidify their unique bond. The princess, her appointed knight and the rest of the champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon."

_ Lies _ ! They were _ weak_. The princess, crying. Asking questions. Wanting to give her some of his trust in Her. Being rejected. None of them had his devotion. None of them had his certainty. None of them were as betrayed as he was. 

"But nay... Ganon was cunning and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below hyrule Castle, seized control of the guardians and the divine beasts, and turned them against us. The champions lost their lives, those residing in the castle as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess...."

Death. Pain. Anger. The blinding light of a guardian's blast. The dying realisation : She _ never _loved him. A curse, mixed with his cries of agony.

"And thus the kingdom of hyrule was devastated absolutely by calamity Ganon. However... The princess survived... To face Ganon alone." 

Lies, lies, _ lies_. The princess _ never _ had faith. Never had _ power_. Why lie? She is dead. They are all dead.

The voice of that girl rang through his head again, imploring: "Link. You are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you." 

Lies. Another of the old man's tricks. 

"That princess was my own daughter...my dear Zelda. And the courageous knight that protected her right up to the very end..." 

There is a pause. Link forces his eyes open to find Rhoam looking at him again with something that could pass as concern.

"That knight was none other than you, Link," the late king states, more hesitant now. "You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn. And then you were taken to the shrine of resurrection. Here you now stand revitalised, a hundred years later. The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from princess Zelda herself."

Lies. 

"Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon within Hyrule castle, she calls out for your help." 

Lies. 

"However my daughter's power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens Ganon will freely regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land." 

_ Lies _. 

"Considering that I could not save my own kingdom I have no right to ask this of you, Link... But I am powerless here... You must save her... My daughter, and do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon." 

Lies and truth. He was chosen. It's his _fate_. He needs to defeat the monster. 

A thought, white blinding rage. It was the fate of that boy who died, not his. He owes them _ nothing_. 

"Somehow Ganon has maintained control over all four divine beasts, as well as those guardians swarming around Hyrule Castle. I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head directly to head directly to the castle at this point." 

Rhoam beckons him closer and Link obeys, his body's old habits betraying him. He'll need to unlearn that obedience he decides, barely paying attention as Rhoam points toward a tall mountain. 

"I suggest... That you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness. Follow the road out to kakariko village. There you will find the Elder Impa. She will tell you more of the path that lies ahead. Consult the map on your sheikah slate for the precise location of Kakariko village. Make your way past the twin summits of the dueling peaks. From there, follow the road as it proceeds north..."

East and North. So Link will go anywhere but there. Or he will stay on the plateau, just to spite the king. 

But then Rhoam produces the paraglider out of thin air, and Link's breath catch in his throat, overwhelmed with a need to have it and _ use _it. 

"Go on, here is the paraglider," Rhoam sighs. "Just as I promised." 

Link grabs it and quickly pulls it to his heart. His. His, his, _ his_. Love pain _ regret_. _ His_.

"With that, you should be able to safely fly off the cliffs surrounding this area. And... I thinks that's it," Rhoam sighs, looking more doubtful with every passing second. The blue flames around him burn stronger, they start to consume him. "I've told you everything I can..." His body becomes translucent, as it did at the shrine. His voice is barely a whisper. "Link... You must save... Hyrule..." 

And he is gone. 

Good riddance. 

King or not, he was nothing but a liar. There is no way the princess could have survived once Link wasn't there to protect her anymore. And even if she did, she lacked the power to stop Ganon. This Link remembers clearly. He was ready for his fate, but she wasn't. Not that it mattered. In the end they both failed and died. 

And now Link is there. He's not the boy who died. He doesn't share his blind hope. He knows that the princess is dead, that the sword is lost. 

He looks at the distant castle. Maybe something is holding back the horror inside, or maybe it's just biding its time to strike again. Either way, the world won't last long. 

It should be a terrifying thought. It's not. The world will end in a few days or months or years, and it's not his problem. Whatever contract the dead boy entered doesn't concern him, because death made it void. Link is free. He can do what he wants. He can go wherever he likes. He is free and doesn't owe the dead anything. 

And what he wants, right now, is to go back to his only friend and show her their new toy. 

They've got to have fun before the world gets destroyed. 

Tanning skin is a gruesome process, but it's the only way Link can get leather to make a second paraglider. The first one is good, a little beauty of engineering, but it's not made to carry the weight of a hylian _and_ a full bokoblin. Meep is a lot heavier than she looks. She's also very eager to come with Link once she understands he wants to leave the Plateau. It's hard to be sure, but he half understands that for the bokoblins too, this has been a prison of sort. They'll both be free then. 

But the more he works on the second glider, the angrier Link gets. It takes him a while to figure out why, but after he breaks a branch he's spent too long preparing, the realisation finally hits him. 

Rhoam had no right to use the glider as a bargaining chip, because it already _ belonged _to Link. He made that glider, him and a friend. A conjoined effort, something personal, intimate almost, to make together an object beautiful and useful... And that blasted king used it, bargained with it, as if he had any right to it! Who knows what else they took from him and intend to use to manipulate him.

Link takes a deep breath. So what if the king used the paraglider. The emotional connection isn't his, it belongs to that boy who died a century ago. Link might have some of his memories, but they are not one and the same. He would never waste his existence for some greater cause, because he knows too well how short life is. The boy died at barely eighteen. Link intends to survive until the day Calamity Ganon finally destroys everything. 

Putting away the boy's emotions helps. Link can finish Meep's glider without another outburst of anger to disturb him. It takes him only a few days, which his bokoblin companion puts to use by hunting and gathering food for their travel. 

And then one morning they are ready. They have meat and apples and mushrooms stored in the sheikah slate, as well as flint to finally make their own fires. Link stored away the warm clothes he stole from Rhoam, more at ease in his ruined, sleeveless shirt. They have tested Meep's glider and it holds her weight just fine. All they need is to pick a direction, and for Link to test one last thing. Something the king had said about travelling quickly to shrines. If that really works... 

"**Idea, I try**," Link warns Meep. He firmly grasps her arm, then presses a finger on the blue mark that indicates Owa Daim shrine on the slate. Blue light surrounds them, almost blinding; when it subsides they are in front of the shrine. 

"**Magic!**" Meep exclaims. 

Link nods, glad his experiment worked. It means if things get rough in the world below, they have an easy way to escape. Just as well, because between the two of them they only have a sword, a bow, and a handful of arrows, while Meep warned him that bokoblins down there will be more aggressive even towards her. And bokoblins won't even be the worst of it, she seemed to hint. Having an escape option is a comfort.

With this test a success, Link looks around. North and east, Rhoam had ordered, so he chose the southernmost shrine on the plateau as their starting point. On this side there is no castle to be seen, no ruins. Only beautiful green hills, a large lake in the distance, and at the horizon something big and blue.

"**What's that**?" he asks Meep. "**Blue, far. What's that?**"

She squints. "**It is** ..." and she chirps a new word, before trying to explain. " **Lake, but big. Salty. It goes far. It doesn't stop.**"

"The sea," Link says. The word brings images of sand and tall curved trees with fruits hard as rocks.

"**The sea** " Meep agrees, repeating the word slowly so Link can learn it. " **We go**?"

Link shrugs. Why not? A big lake means a lot of fish to taste. Other food too. Places to explore. Things to blow up. And it is south, safely away from that village he is supposed to head to.

"**Meep wants, we go**," he offers.

"**We go**," Meep confirms with a determined nod.

And just like that, they have a plan. Go to the sea. Eat many things. Let someone else save Hyrule, if there's even anything left to save, because Link isn't going down that path anymore.


	5. Grinnden Plains

Flying away from the plateau is hard on Link's arms as he holds on to the glider, but it is also one of the best things he's experienced so far. It feels like freedom, like being alive. He is grinning so hard his cheeks twitch but he can't stop, not until his feet touch the ground of a place that isn't that blasted plateau. He is free.  _ They  _ are free. Meep is a little less enthusiastic than him about flying, but once she has recovered from the experience, she shouts some insults toward the plateau where she must have lived all her life. At least, Link assumes they are an insult. She doesn't want to explain the words to him. 

After the first moment of triumph, Link finds himself staring at the plateau. It is odd to be away from it. Just like Meep, he has never known anything else. 

" **We go** ," Meep orders when he gazes at their prison for too long.  **"Need good place for night** ." 

That is many hours away, but Link readily complies. He turns away from the plateau and looks up at the mountain where they have landed. It is blocking their view of the sea. 

" **Up** ?" he suggests. 

" **Up** ," Meep agrees. " **Up is good. We see danger** ." 

They walk for some hours, progress made difficult by the steepness of the mountain, until they reach a flowery meadow on the summit. It's a nice, peaceful place from where they have a good view of everything around, and once more Link can see the sea. It is still very far away, but he's determined that they'll get there someday. 

For now, they must prepare for the night. Meep is very insistent on them having a fire even though nights are usually warm, so Link is tasked with gathering some wood for it. That's how he sees  _ The Tree _ . 

It's a very high tree. Higher than probably any Link has seen so far, and it's begging to be climbed. So when Link is done finding wood, and while Meep is carefully preparing a fire, he runs back to the tree and starts climbing. By the time Meep notices, he's already halfway up and, quite honestly, regretting his decision. Pine bark hurts the palm of his hands and he's getting sticky resin all over him. No way he's giving up though, because from between the branches he can see something moving up there. Link' s hands are flayed and bleeding but he keeps going until he reaches the top of the tree and is face to face with a small whirlwind of green leaves. He reaches out to grab one. 

A loud, shrill laughter startles him so much that he nearly loses his grip on the pine tree. 

"Ya-ha-ha! You found me!" 

The leaves are gone, replaced by a small creature that looks like a tiny tree with limbs wearing a mask. 

"Huh? You're not Hetsu! But you can... See me? I didn't know your kind could see the children of the forest!" 

"My kind? Hylians? " 

The little creature ignores his question. "Well, if you run into Hetsu, please return this to him." 

Unceremoniously, the creature tosses a small seed at Link, one he barely manages to catch. 

"My friends are hiding in lots of different places too! Don't be shy about poking your nose into suspicious places!" 

Link blinks, and the creature is gone. If not for the seed in Link's hand, it might as well never have been there.

When he manages to get back on the ground, Link shows Meep the seed. 

" **Food** ?" 

Meep shakes her head. " **Magic. Don't eat** ." 

Link can't help but be disappointed. There's a peculiar smell to the seed, something like mushrooms and rotting that's not unpleasant. It smells like it should be tasty, but when he licks it, the rotting is what's strongest. 

" **Don't eat!** " Meep scolds him. " **I make food!** "

She scolds him again when he bites into an apple rather than to wait for a piece of meat to finish roasting, but he just needs to get rid of that seed's taste. 

The rest of their evening is uneventful. Soon after eating they go to sleep, exhausted by a very long day. Link passes out almost immediately.

When he opens his eyes again it’s still dark, but something woke him. There are groaning and cracking noises coming from somewhere nearby. Meep sits up to look around, her night vision much better than Link's. She seems to spot something at the other end of the meadow that has her flinching in fear. Silently she adds some wood to the fire before scuttling over to where Link is to lay down near him. 

" **Danger** ?" he whispers. 

" **Night is for the dead** ," she replies, eyes darting again to whatever is there. " **Dead don't like fire. Safe** ."

That might be the least reassuring thing Link had ever heard in hid life. He stares in the direction Meep was looking at, and yes, there seems to be movement there. Something pale and big. It doesn't come their way even though it can't have failed to notice the light of their fire. Link doesn't sleep very well that night, startling awake at every creaking noise, but as Meep promised they are nor attacked. 

In the morning, Link tries asking about that thing in the night, but Meep is reluctant to answer. 

" **They are the dead** ," she only says. " **He is angry** ." 

" **The dead is angry** ?" 

" **No. Him** ." Meep points toward the plateau, and groans a word Link doesn't know. " **Him. Bokoblins fight for him. We die for him. If we fight bad, the moon doesn't help. And we become the dead. You will see. Soon now. You will see the moon.** " 

An ominous statement, but Meep won't answer any more of his questions on the subject. Whatever they are, the deads scare her. 

The high plains that come down from the mountain are a beautiful place, but before too long Link discovers how dangerous they can be. It's Meep who first spots the horses in a distance, but it's Link who notices their bokoblin riders, two red and one blue. The blue worries him. There was one on the plateau, a solitary one who showed aggression to others of his kind and bullied them into giving away their food. Now too the blue seems in a position of power, yelling things at the two red, riding ahead of them. 

He also has a bow, which he's aiming at Link. Meep and him just barely have time to jump and avoid the arrow. With a furious growl Meep grabs that arrow and aims at the blue bokoblin, hitting him in the eye and making him fall down from his horse, screaming. 

“Grab the horse!”She yells at Link. 

He runs to do that but, moved by some ancient instinct that doesn’t belong to him, Link finds himself jumping on the beast’s back instead. Now on the same level as their enemy and with the same advantage of speed, Link waves his sword around, slashing at one red bokoblin's arm, sprinkling black blood around them. 

Between that and their leader’s anguished cries on the grass, the two red bokoblins realise they took on more than they could chew and turn their horses around, abandoning the blue one. Link shouts at them as they run, relieved that neither he nor Meep were harmed in the attack.

The blue bokoblin wasn’t so lucky. Meep is at his side, looking down at him without any emotions. When Link dismounts and joins her, she holds out her hand toward him.

“Give me the sword,” she asks.

Link obeys, and can’t help a surprised cry when Meep uses his blade to slit the blue bokoblin’s throat.

" **Better** ," she says without a trace of remorse, tilting her head when she notices. " **The moon is soon. It's fine.** " 

" **What do we do with the horse? Eat?** " 

It's not very tall, but it looks stocky enough that it could easily last them many meals. Besides it's meat he hasn't had a chance to try yet. 

Meep rolls her eyes. " **I check. If it's a good horse, we keep it** ." 

The careful inspection of the horse takes a while, Meep looking at it all over for injuries, inspecting its teeth and feet. In the end she announces that the horse stays, and Link tries not to be disappointed. Surely there will be other occasions for tasting horse meat. With some luck, the new addition to their little band won't last long. And still, when Meep is busy checking if the other riders are really gone, Link takes his chance and licks the horse's neck. As often, that's a decision he somewhat regrets because now there's hairs on his tongue and a strong, disgusting taste of sweat. Hopefully horse meat itself won't be as disappointing. 

The horse is, in the end, a valuable partner who takes them across the plains much faster than they would have managed by foot. It's a fearless thing too, and doesn't get spooked when they're attacked by another gang of horse riding bokoblins a few days later, nor when dead things roam around their camp at night. 

It is also a raging asshole who  _ hates  _ Link and keeps trying to bite him. It does manage, once. A brutal bite on Link's left arm, all because the hylian dared to eat an apple instead of sharing it. Link's reaction is to bite back and that certainly startles the horse enough that it behaves for the rest of the day. By the next morning, it is back to its normal levels of hatred.

" **We eat it** ," Link grumbles after escaping another bite one evening. 

" **Good horse** ," Meep protests, looking positively offended that Link could suggest such a thing. She's braiding the horse hair and it's _ letting her _ , staring right at Link as if to say their feud is fully personal. 

" **Pretty horse** !" Meep coos, patting its neck and nuzzling its face. " **Good horse. We never eat it! It's a friend.** " 

Link groans and rolls his eyes, but he accepts defeat. The blasted horse isn't going anywhere. 

Not that he can really complain about their life off the plateau. Riding the horse is a pretty exhilarating feeling when it deigns to go into a gallop. They keep finding new things to eat, mostly birds and roots, some seeds too. Sometimes they have to fight other bokoblins, or jelly-like creatures that Link vaguely remembers are called chuchus. Their watery remains can be scooped over if he's quick enough and they taste of... Well. Mostly they taste of water, with an aftertaste of magic. It's not bad. It feels refreshing, more than actual water, so Link makes sure to gather a lot under Meep's mildly horrified eyes. 

So there's horses, there's bokoblins, there's chuchus, and there's the dead at night. But no hylians. Not a single one. 

Sometimes Link can spot ruins, and they've come upon the remains of a couple hamlets, but those looked like they have been abandoned for a very long time. Walls are crumbled, iron tools have rusted so much they can be broken by hand, bones bleached by the sun bearing the marks of animal teeth. Sometimes if he's lucky Link can find some money hidden under the remains of a rotten mattress, and one time he finds honey that, after inspection, is still perfectly edible. That's the exception though. Usually they find nothing. 

It's a relief, if Link is honest. If all hylians died in the Calamity, then who cares that Ganon might return? The world is nothing but a wild place and it's all Link's to explore. Bokoblins won't suffer under the rule of their master, animals will likely be left alone. 

It's freeing to be the last person alive, and Link loves it. 

He loves riding that stupid horse. He loves hunting. He loves eating everything he can get his hands on. He loves time spent with Meep, chatting or being scolded by her. And soon they'll get to the sea, which he will love too. 

Life is good. 

They've almost reached the sea when they meet their first live hylians. Two men who live in a small camp and call themselves horse experts. They seem to be living off the land, which is comforting, but they also wear clothes that aren't as tattered as Link's, which is upsetting. 

They are also very welcoming and happy to share their food, even with Meep who they seem a little worried about. 

"You don't often see bokos that can behave," one of them, Straia, explains as he fills two bowls with a thick stew. "My research would be much easier if they were all as nice as your... friend." 

"You're here for research?" 

Straia nods, and Link feels his guts twist. If there are still researchers and tailors out there, then there must be enough civilisation left to support them and feed them. So much for being the last hylian. 

"I have heard rumours of a giant horse somewhere in this region and we wanted to investigate. If it could be brought into the stables' breeding pools, it could be the start of a new breed for transporting goods or other races. Most horses around these days are barely more than ponies. No offence but look at yours! It's a puny little thing! If you were any taller, your feet would drag on the ground when you ride it."

" **Good horse!** " Meep growls. She doesn't understand hylian very well, but can easily spot an attack on her precious pet. 

" **He says it's the worst horse ever** ," Link teases her. 

Meep grunts but doesn't dignify that with an answer.

The second man, Jini, can't take his eyes off of her. "Any chance you'd tell us how you tamed that thing?" 

"It just kind of happened. Saved her from a big scary rock monster," Link explains, careful not to mention the attack was his fault anyway. "Healed her. And now we're friends." 

Jini doesn't look very convinced but he nods anyway. 

"Usually bokos kill their wounded if it’s too serious," he says. "It's a waste of effort to care for someone who'll just be back at the next blood moon, I guess. But you better be careful. Living here in the wild we fear bokos a little less than most, but if you get to a stable they won't take kindly to a monster. Highland Stable especially has had trouble with bokos for years now, they'll kill her on the spot and might kill  _ you  _ too for bringing her. "

Link grimaces at the thought. "Not sure we're going to that stable thing anyway. We just want to get to the sea, maybe find a way to cross it if that exists?"

The two men stare at him with a degree of shock and horror his statement surely doesn't deserve. 

"Why would you do that?" Straia gasps. 

"Why wouldn't I want a way out of Hyrule with everything that's going on?" 

"Everything has been at peace for years and years, things are fine now if you just avoid monsters and guardians... And luckily few guardians remain around here, so it's a fine place to live. There's no need to do something stupid like  _ cross the sea _ ." 

They can't see the castle from where they are, Link notices. They would be a little less assured of their safety otherwise. Not that he's going to tell them that. On the brink of death and destruction, it would be cruel to take people's happiness. 

"I'm just curious then. There's got to be something on the other side, right?" 

"The goddesses only created Hyrule," Jini recites. "All around there is only death and barren deserts, but in Hyrule is true peace under Hylia's guidance." 

The words are familiar. They sound like something the dead boy might have believed once. If so, Link gets a feeling arguing won't do any good. 

"Maybe you could try Lurelin though," Straia says. "They're fishermen over there, they'll know if the sea can be crossed... and if it's worth the effort. A small village north of here," he adds when he notices Link's confused look. "I'll show you, we have a map of the region." 

It's a little odd to look at a paper map after how convenient the sheikah slate can be, but for this area it shows nothing. Paper will do. Straia shows Link the path they'll need to follow to get to the Highland Stable (get that horse registered, it helps their breeding program and you get a saddle) and then they can just follow the cliffs northward until they get to Lurelin. 

Straia, feeling very generous, also gifts them a spare cloak. 

"For your boko," he says. "Should buy you enough time to tell people that they won't get gutted in their sleep." 

"I can't accept," Link protests, although he very much wants to keep that cloak. "You might need it..." 

"I've got two left, it's fine. But if you ever come around here again, you'll have to help me with my giant horse research. Deal?" 

It's easy to agree when Link doesn't intend to return here, but he suspects Straia knows it and is only trying to spare his pride. He is a good man. A better one than Link for sure. 

Link keeps the cloak and the next morning, Meep and him head for the stable. 


	6. Highland Stable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link and Meep get to their first stable... and it's only one of many firsts

Far more than the encounter with Straia and Jini, the stable is a shock. Link expected a decrepit building or some reclaimed ruins with some hungered, scared survivors desperately trying to go on. It was stupid of him when Straia and Jini seemed well adjusted and without worries. 

So instead of ruins and haggard survivors, Link and Meep find a well built wooden structure surmounted by a giant gaudy horse head, bustling with life. Even from a distance they can see people coming and going, on foot or on horseback. 

" **Many hylians** ," Meep growls against Link's back. He can feel her moving, readjusting the hood of her cloak so it hides her better. She looks a little ridiculous with that thing on because her big ears don't fit well under the fabric, making her look disformed. Link found it funny at first, but now he's not so sure anymore that this thin disguise will be enough to protect her. 

But when they get to the stable's entrance, nobody says a thing about the misshapen thing that rides behind Link. In fact, hardly anyone pays them any attention, save for a man who waves at him from a window. 

"Well you're looking peppy today, strangers!" he greets them. "My name is Padok, welcome to my stable. We deal in all things horse related. We also double as an inn." The automatic part of his speech over, the man gives Link a more careful look. "Huh... I haven't seen your faces before. Do you know about the stable system?" 

Too nervous to trust his voice, Link just shakes his head. That gets them a long and detailed lecture from Padok, most of which flies high above his head. Link does understand the important parts though: Stables are refuges in the ruins of Hyrule, there are many of them, and they all operate along a similar code. It's wonderful for the people of Hyrule who can get inside any stable and know exactly what to expect. It's awful for Link because it's further proof that civilisation remains, that Ganon will indeed have something to destroy if the mood strikes him. 

"We'd like to register your horse too," Padok adds. "We have a breeding program. So few were left after the Calamity, but thanks to our efforts you can find horses all around Hyrule these days." 

"Not sure you'll want to breed that one. It's an asshole and it bites." 

"Well, they need a little spunk to defend themselves against wolves and bokos, don't they? And it won't be any inconvenience to you, the horses are only bred when their owner aren't using them. Plus you get some equipment as part of the deal! The program's fee includes a bridle and saddle, locally made."

Link can't help a grimace. That means they have someone to work leather and iron, or that they trade with another place that actually makes those for them. More signs that Hyrule survived beyond his initial beliefs. 

At the same time, his ass and legs beg him to take the offer. Riding bareback for so many days hasn't been without consequences. His ass and thighs are full of blisters. 

"How much?" 

"Only twenty rupees, sir. Oh, and we'll need the horse's name for our records of course." 

Link's hand stills on his purse. A name? That stupid biting machine doesn't have a  _ name _ . Link has never cared enough to give it one, and Meep never needed one because that's not how bokoblins work. 

"It's called Horse," Link quickly mumbles, the first thing he can think of. He braces himself for protests, but Padok only nods. 

"Not uncommon. And your name, good sir?" 

"Link." 

This time, Padok grins. "Ah, I see originality must run in the family then. Fine, I am registering Horse, belonging to Link. Please go inside with your friend and leave Horse to us, we'll take care of it while you rest." 

Link and Meep jump down from Horse, leaving it in the hands of a young lady who leads it away. 

" **Many hylians** ," Meep whispers, sticking close to Link. " **I thought all hylians were dead. I don't like it.** "

" **Maybe they are only here** ," Link lies, knowing she'll have understood Padok's explanation of the stable network even less than him. " **Before Ganon, there were more hylians. Hylians everywhere. All the destroyed places we saw had many hylians. This is only a little.** " 

Meep considers that for a moment. " **Many hylians** ," she repeats, but she relaxes a bit. 

Inside the stable, Link pays for a bed they will share and for their meals. Nobody asks him who Meep is, nor why she hides her face. People, on the whole, don't seem to care about his business so long as he pays what he must pay. 

It's nice to be ignored. Link gets a vague feeling that the dead boy was too important to be glanced over, much as he might have preferred sometimes. And it's nice also to be in a safe place with actual walls. Link hadn't realised he missed it until now. Meep doesn't like it as much, clearly more at ease with open spaces, but she dares not leave Link's side. A little rest, Link decides, and then they can go explore the stable's courtyard. Feeling like having a snack, Link inspects what's stored inside the sheikah slate. They're pretty well off for food since nothing spoils while stored in the slate. There's also a bunch of weird things that Link hasn't tried yet and that probably aren't edible... But he won't know until he's tried. Feeling a little adventurous, he takes out a black beetle. The thing, somehow, is still alive, but that doesn't stop Link from biting into its abdomen with a loud crunch. 

Immediately he hears a scream. 

"Why would you do that!" a hylian man laments, rushing to his side. "That was a bladed rhino beetle!" 

Link stares at the man, munching on his snack. The taste is tolerable, not acidic like some other bugs he's had, but the shell makes for an unpleasant texture. Next time he needs to find a better way to eat this. 

"Don't you know what they are?" the man insists. 

Link swallows and shrugs. "A pretty mediocre snack?" 

That seems to be the wrong answer. The man is staring at him with an expression very similar to Meep's when she sees him eat some chu remains. 

"Anyway, I... I don't believe I've made your acquaintance! The name is Beedle but you can call me... Actually, let's just stick with Beedle," the man says with a grimace that hints at regrettable nicknames in the past. "But even if you forget me face, you can remember me by my beetle shape backpack!" 

Beedle points at the huge bag he's left behind near his bed. It  _ does  _ look like a beetle, which is both amazing and rather impracticable. 

"Despite those dangerous times you'll find me travelling all over Hyrule to fulfil your shopping needs. And, uh... Here is an idea! If you ever find more beetles, I'll trade them with you for something nice!" 

"You're a beetle fan, uh?" 

"I'm a fan of elixirs that let me move fast and travel safely between stables," Beedle corrects with an apologetic smile. "It's dangerous out there when you travel alone. But I have to bring quality, decently priced wares to the world! Speaking of which..." 

Something switches in Beedle, his smile a little less innocent as he starts describing what he has for sale at the moment. Link ends up buying nearly the entirety of Beedle's stock of arrows, while selling some meat for a decent price. Meep protests at that, until Link buys a couple carrots for Horse. 

"I hope to do business with you again," Beedle says cheerfully. "It was a pleasure! And just... Don't eat beetles  _ raw _ , please." 

Link promises, though he's sure he will continue eating whatever hits his fancy. 

With that settled, Link and Meep exit the stable for a tour of its courtyard. It's mostly stable employees out there, likely members of the same family... Though maybe it's only their uniform making them look so similar. They all seem very cheerful, which strikes Link as odd after the ruined villages they passed through. Yet when he asks an old lady about the dangers around, she just complains about gangs of bokoblins that terrorise travelers. 

"So no guardians?" 

"Here? Hylia bless us, no! People say there's some broken ones by the sea, but I don't believe it. They  _ never  _ came this far." 

Again Link thinks of villages destroyed and bleached bones. But a hundred years is a long time, and even this old woman wasn't born until long after the calamity. She's never seen the castle surrounded in black and red cloud. She's never heard the clicking noises of an active guardian. Link envies her ignorance. 

"Your little friend... What's wrong with it exactly?" the old woman suddenly asks. "I thought he had a hunchback but something moved under the cloak..." 

"He's cursed," Link quickly answers, moving slightly to hide Meep from her. "It's not contagious, but it does weird things to his body. Painful too. So if you hear him growl, that's why." 

"Went touching something he shouldn't have, eh?" the woman says, shaking her head. "Young people these days! Even when you teach them better... I have to keep our young ones from going to that old shrine up the hill, you know? Especially since it lit up some days ago. Maybe you should show them your friend and  _ then  _ they'll know better." 

Hearing the word shrine is like being hit by whiplash. Link still manages to smile though, and makes an excuse about his friend being very sensitive about his curse and not wanting to be seen. Then, before the old lady can get suspicious again, Link grabs Meep and pulls her toward the place where Horse and other horses are being fed. 

" **Sorry, it itches** ," Meep growls, as low as she can. 

" **It's okay. I tell her it's bad magic. We don't talk to her again, we leave in the morning. All fine. Want to go see Horse?** "

Meep readily agrees. Horse is in very good hands with a young woman who has taken it upon herself to brush it. She compliments them on having such a well groomed and well behaved horse. Meep preens. Link groans. After Rhoam, there's a new manipulator in his life, and he's the only one to see how irredeemably  _ evil  _ Horse is. 

"Such a sweet horse," the girl sighs, patting Horse's neck. "If you'd like, I could groom it a bit for you. It would look gorgeous with flowers, wouldn't it?" 

She's talking to Meep more than Link, as if she can sense his disdain for their mount, and the bokoblin nods eagerly. She must have understood  _ gorgeous  _ and  _ flowers  _ at least. 

"My friend doesn't understand a lot of hylian," Link warns. "And he doesn't speak at all. Mute." 

"Well, I know a little sign language..." 

"He doesn't," Link cuts her, getting annoyed at her good will that might betray Meep's little secret. "It's fine. We have our own way to talk." 

Link wants to go away from that too nice girl, but Meep is in no hurry now that she's found someone who likes Horse as much as her. Link rolls his eyes and turns, hoping she'll follow if he leaves... But something catches his eyes and he stops in his tracks. Up in the hill. Black metal and orange lights. 

So there really is a shrine there. 

Rhoam had said they existed all over the land, just like the towers, but this is the first one Link sees since leaving the plateau. If he's smart, he won't get near. 

But he's an idiot, so he will. 

Since Meep is busy watching the stable girl braid flowers into Horse's mane, Link darts off. No need to tell her what he's doing. She is a good deal too clever not to stop him, and he's not going very far. He won't get inside, Link tells himself as he jumps over the courtyard's fence. He just wants to see it closely and test something, he'll be back at the stable in an hour at most. 

The climb is easy and Ka’o Makagh looks exactly like the shrines on the plateau except its door is still closed. When Link gets close enough to it, a red mark bearing its name appears on the slate's map. Unlike the blue marks of previous shrines, tapping it doesn't do anything. Link didn't expect it to. When he activates the pedestal though, the mark turns partly blue and touching it transports him right in front of the shrine. Link can't stop grinning because that's a surprise, and a  _ very  _ pleasant one. If he can use the shrines as transport points without needing to complete their trials... Sure that will be complicated with Horse but he can test later if the magic will still work on something that big. 

The downside of his discovery is that the shrine's door is now open and its contents accessible to anyone. Link doesn't care if the spirit orbs are stolen, but he  _ should  _ care that people could get hurt or killed down there. So he conducts a series of tests. The elevator doesn't activate when Link throws stones or a piece of meat on it. Dropping a lizard also doesn't do anything. Meaning it needs to either be a hylian in general, or him in particular. How would the shrine know the difference, except by making him carry a unique object of similar technology? A last test is required. Link drops the sheikah slate on the grass near the shrine, takes a deep breath, and walks to the elevator. 

Nothing happens. 

Link shouts in victory. You need the slate to be transported inside the shrine, meaning he can leave it uncompleted. Nobody around should have another slate and if they do, they'll deserve whatever is waiting down there. 

Happy with his discoveries, Link glides back down to the stable. It took him less than an hour and Meep only just started looking for him to show how pretty the stable girl and her made Horse. They have gone a little overboard with their flowers, but it does improve a bit the looks of their mount. Horse looks absolutely betrayed to have been decorated this way, which makes it even nicer. 

After that Link takes Meep away from the other guests and the stable employees to explain where he'd gone. She is predictably unhappy that he took risks alone. She would probably be furious if Link told her that he could easily have become trapped inside the shrine without the slate to help him if his theory had been wrong, so he doesn't say that. He does have to promise that they'll do everything they can to avoid abandoning Horse, even if they're in danger, but he trusts himself to be smarter than that. And if that happens, he's sure Meep will understand. 

As the afternoon draws to its end and temperatures drop, they go back inside. Link watches as Perosa finishes cooking dinner for the guests while Meep sits near their bed, nervous once more among so many hylians. No one has said anything about her yet, but Link isn't fully comfortable about this. Next time they'll need to be more open about their situation or to avoid stables. Still, it's nice to be there. The stew smells so delicious that Link is tempted to go ask how it's made. He misses food that has been cooked, not just tossed in a fire. 

Outside the skies get dark and Padok cries in alarm. 

"Blood Moon !" he shouts. 

The mood inside the stable immediately changes. The employees run outside to close the gates and check the fences have no weaknesses while the guests all get together, whispering and glancing outside. There, at last, is the fear Link expected to see from survivors of the calamity. 

Meanwhile Meep is nearly vibrating with excitement and she darts outside before Link can stop her. He can only follow under the worried gaze of the other hylians. Padok passes him by and grabs his shoulder, a severe look on his face. 

"Don't go playing hero out there just because you have a sword," he warns. "Blood moons are bad here, and I'd rather not have another grave to dig." 

An ominous statement for sure, so Link hurries to Meep's side. She is leaning on the fence and gazing up at an abnormally red moon. She smiles and points at it. 

" **Blood Moon** ," she says. " **It is a good night. He gives to those who were good** ." 

" **Ganon** ?" Link asks. Or think he does, anyway. It’s a word Meep uses sometimes, but he’s never sure of the exact translation.

" **Yes. He gives to those alive and those dead. A very good night** !" 

Link looks up at the flaming moon. It doesn't look like a good thing, but appearances can be deceiving of course. 

" **He gives to you?** " 

Meep shakes her head, her smile falling. 

" **I follow you. I think that's bad for Him** ." She sighs and tears her eyes from the sky to look at Link for a few seconds. She then nods and turns back to the moon. " **Good choice. Good friend. You are stupid like a squirrel, I ** ** _have _ ** **to protect you** ." 

The insult stings a little, but Link is touched all the same. He's never realised before just how much Meep left behind for his sake. Not that he thinks she did it just for him. The Plateau was a prison for her too, he was just a convenient excuse and happened to provide a way. 

" **Thank you. I am happy...** " 

Meep shushes him and points at the moon. " **It goes up. We are silent now, until after He gives.** " 

Link rolls his eyes, but he obeys and sits on the grass to gaze at the sky. It's a little cold, especially with that old small shirt without sleeves, but it's not a terrible feeling. The moon shines so bright that it drowns out most of the stars, its light tinting everything in red, turning the shadows darker. There's a sort of beauty to it, albeit a terrible one. After a few hours, Link is so sleepy the shadows seem to move on their own and rise toward the sky, like ashes carried by the wind. It feels and looks like a dream but Meep shakes his shoulder to bring his attention to something, and Link realises he's awake. 

" **He gives!** " Meep exclaims with a large grin. " **They were good here!** " 

Outside on the plains, there are flashes of red lights followed by grunts and cries that Link can't understand, but recognises as bokoblin speech. 

It's not the only thing Link hears. For the first time since the plateau, the girl speaks to him. 

"_Link! Be on your guard!_" she cries out. "_Ganon's power grows. It reaches its peak under the hour of the blood moon. By its glow the aimless spirits of monsters slain in the name of the light return to flesh. Link... Please be careful._" 

Before Link can digest that information, Meep is squeezing his arm again, grinning widely. 

" **He gives only life** ," Meep notes as the red glow finally fades. " **I see no dead. They are good here, He likes them.** " 

" **What are the dead** ?" Link asks. " **We heard them before, but you don't say** ." 

Meep shudders, her eyes still on the plain. 

" **The dead are broken. Only a little back. A body of bones. They don't think. They kill for Him. They kill everyone. One day you see. The dead are everywhere.** " 

Meep's voice is barely a whisper. Living bokoblins she doesn't mind fighting, but dead ones terrify her. 

At the first light of dawn, Link and Meep are ready to leave. It's a lot easier to get on Horse's back with a saddle, and it's comforting to have so many arrows for Meep's bow. Link could learn to like the stable network though he's not at ease with the hylians. It could be that they are a reminder of the mission he rejects. More likely, he decides, is the fact they could harm Meep is they discover what she is. 

"Be careful," Padok says as Link and Meep pass him by. "Today the road to Faron woods will be rough."

That's something Link can easily believe. There was a handful of bokoblin riders in the plain when they arrived yesterday, but now he can see at least a dozen and hear even more. All those he can spot are blues, too, which is a bad surprise. He's never seen groups of blues so far, they've always been just leaders in bands of reds. 

" **They want blood** ," Meep growls behind him. " **They want to thank Him** ." 

A pack of murderous, aggressive, intelligent blues mounted on horse. A delightful way to start the day. 

" **Let's do this** ," he mutters under his breath." **Keep the bow close. I ride, you shoot.** " 

He urges Horse on into a fast trot, hands tights on the reins, ready to send it into a gallop. It doesn't take long for the bokoblins to spot them and come after them. 

" **Get him!** " one shouts. 

Link turns to look how close the riders are. That's a mistake. The arrow lodges in his left eye almost to the fletching and he falls from Horse with an agonised scream that only stops because hitting the ground knocks his breath out. It's not a problem for long though because another bokoblin is galloping his way with a spear in hand. The last thing Link feels is bone piercing his skin and lung. 

"Be careful, today the road to Faron woods will be rough," Padok says.

Link blinks, struggling to breathe even though his chest is whole again. Something just happened. There's still the ghost of pain in his eye and chest but when he touches his face, everything is normal. A dream then? 

Or a premonition. 

When the leave the stable it all happens the same again. Going into the plain. The bokoblin shouting. Arrow to his eye. Spear to his chest. Dying. 

The third time Link hears Padok's last warning, he smartens up. Something is happening and it's damn painful. He goes on the road again but this time when he hears that bokoblin yell, he spurs Horse on and the arrow misses his head by a few inches. Meep, however, doesn't miss and that bokoblin who killed Link twice falls from his horse with an arrow stuck in his throat. It was the only one with a bow and with Horse galloping full speed, they are soon out of harm's way. 

For the rest of that day, Link pushes away all thoughts of what happened. It's easy because there's a lot of better things to ponder, such as the fact that there's still a road. Not a paved one, sure, but this is so far from Castle Town that even before the Calamity they might not have had paved roads. For being just a dirt path it's well maintained, meaning it is used a lot and people are taking care of it. At the same time there are a lot of wild animals around or sometimes on the road, so there can't be too much traffic either. The road could be the work of just a few very dedicated people clinging to some illusion of civilisation. 

At night they stop at the side of the road and make a small fire. As they roast some mushrooms, Link wonders if he should tell Meep about what happened that morning. In the end he decides against it. He's not sure anything even happened. In fact, Link is convinced he imagined the whole thing. The agony felt real, and there was that arrow he narrowly avoided... But none of it makes sense, so it didn't happen. 

He did not die twice this morning, and he's certainly not about to make Meep worry about him. 

It's odd how fast the landscape as they leave Fural Plain and enter the Faron Woods. The trees are different, slimmer but more numerous and taller. It's not just trees, there are ferns and hanging lianas and so many flowers with all the colours of the rainbow. It would be great if it weren't so hot and, sadly, so unbearably humid. 

On their second day in the forest, they hear music coming from further down the road. It's the first melody Link has heard since waking up, so different from the way bokoblins clap their hands when they dance or from birds singing. This here is _sophisticated_.

Before long, after a bend in the road, they discover the source of the music and oddly enough it is a bird after all. A giant one though, taller than Link or any hylian he's met so far, and it's not singing its song but producing it with an odd little machine. It doesn't look aggressive, but neither do bokoblins until you disturb them. 

" **Big bird** ," Meep says behind him, just as impressed as Link. " **We eat it?** " 

It's an interesting idea. There must be meat enough for a week on that thing... But something tells him he should first try to talk to that creature. It worked with Meep, didn't it? And besides there's something... Familiar about that bird. He's seen others before. Well, the dead boy has, at least. And he liked them. Watching the big blue bird fills Link with a longing that doesn't really belong to him. 

" **First we try to talk** ," Link suggests. " **If it attacks, we eat it. Keep the bow ready** ." 

He is still wondering in which language he should address the bird when it notices them and stops playing its music machine. 

"A visitor?" the bird says in perfect hylian. "So deep in the forest?" 

_ Definitely  _ not a creature they can eat. Link tries not to be too disappointed and waves at... Him ? The voice was on the low end so it might be an  _ him _ , but Link doesn't know enough about birds to be sure. 

The bird seems just as intrigued, staring at Link with his beak open in surprise. 

"Th-that there... on your hip!..." 

Acting on sheer instinct, Link covers the sheikah slate with one hand. That bird can't know it, right? It's the only one that exists and it was hidden in his prison for a full century. 

"No I'm sorry..." the bird says, looking up at Link's face. "Its nothing. I didn't mean to pry." 

"Mistakes happen," Link replies, wondering if he should start hiding the slate. "Hey, sorry if that's rude but are you... You're some sort of bird, right?" 

Wrong question to ask because the creature's straighten up and puffs his feathers. It means anger, Link vaguely remembers. It can mean embarrassment too, but in this context that's less likely. 

"Have you... Never met a rito before?" the creature asks, to which Link nods. "Odd... But my manners! My name is Kass. As a bard, I spend my days traveling this land in search of ancient songs. Have you heard of the ancient songs of Hyrule?" 

That sounds like a pretty easy life, Link decides. Just go around and listen to people sing? Perhaps the Calamity hasn't ruined Hyrule so badly if that rito can do something so pointless. 

Behind him, Meep pulls on his shirt. " **We don't eat it?** " 

" **No, he doesn't want to kill us. I talk a little and then we go again** ," Link promises, but she's disappointed too that they're not going to have a feast. Meanwhile Kass is glaring at him now that he's noticed Meep. "So, ancient songs, uh?" Link quickly says to distract him. "What sort of songs are we speaking of?" 

It works: Kass's full attention is on him again. His eyes glance at the slate for a second though, which Link doesn't like. 

"Ancient songs," Kass repeats. "Songs that sing the praises of a  _ hero  _ who beat back the Calamity in an age past. I know a song about this place. Would you like to hear the ancient verse passed down in this region?" 

Link's breath catches in his throat at the word hero. A coincidence only, of course. Rhoam had said that the ancient fight between the hero of old and the Calamity was a well known tale. Still, it's the first time anyone is talking about what's happening in Hyrule, and that rito seemed to recognise the sheikah slate... 

"I'm in a bit of a hurry actually," Link claims. "I have to get to Lakeside Stable as soon as possible for business. Another time maybe." 

"I see," Kass replies in a tone that makes it seems like he knows that's a lie. "Do let me know if you change your mind. And who knows, we might meet again at the stable. Perhaps then you will have time." 

"I'd love that," Link lies with the most sincere smile he can manage. 

He edges Horse on and they continue on their way. Until the next bend in the road, he can feel Kass's eyes on them and wonders if, perhaps, they shouldn't have killed and eaten him after all. Too late now, he can't eat something he's had a conversation with, can he? But that means he'll want to avoid Lakeside Stable, just in case. It's just too odd to have anyone recognise the sheikah slate. 

Luckily, the next morning, they encounter a fork in the road. On the left, a sign indicating the stable and Lurelin village. On the right Link can see the sea and what might be a beach. If he remembers Straia's map correctly, that beach should be continuous until Lurelin village. So it's a hellish forest with a stable where a creepy rito might await, or a long detour but with the fresh proximity of the sea. Hardly a choice at all. 

Pushing Horse into a gallop, they head right


	7. Lurelin

The sea is wonderful, and those few days travelling under the cliffs are a delight. Link can't get enough of this new environment full of new smells and new tastes and things to climb. He learns pretty fast that sea water isn't something he should drink, but it is pretty great to cook crabs and clams (fish, a little less because they turn out too salty, but they're also easier to roast anyway). He also discovers that some of the critters that live in the water aren't _technically_ edible. At least half a dozen times he bites into something that makes him violently sick for days, only to be brought back to the moment before he ate it. He still refuses to believe he's died any of those times, but he gets the message and tosses those out and doesn't let Meep eat them either. When she asks why, he lies and pretends it's something he remembers from his old life. 

The food that's good, though, is _very_ good. Hard to catch sometimes, but so worth the reward.

Not that they can spend as much time fishing as Link would prefer. This path they chose for themselves is a dangerous one because it is infested with tall reptilians creatures. The first time they encounter a group, Link tries to greet them in bokoblin speech, just in case. One slashes him open, moving so fast Link doesn't have time to protect himself. He is sent back to the moment just after Meep told him she didn't know if they would be friendly but it could be worth a try. 

He doesn't try again.

Some days later when another big lizard tries to ambush them, they manage to kill it. It's a beautiful show of team spirit: that dumb lizard spooked Horse who reacted by bucking at it, knocking it out and giving Link and Meep and chance to finish it off without risks. Horse gets a carrot as a reward, while Meep and Link get a new meat to try. She likes it well enough, but he finds it too tough to chew. He still eats his share though, because it would be a waste not to. 

After over a week they finally find Lurelin, a small village hidden between the cliffs. 

It's not very big, but it's still more than Link would have expected, a dozen houses at least and even from a distance he can see people going about their business in the afternoon sun. This is so much more than a stable where survivors pass through. This is a real living place, a _settlement_, one that probably was already there before the Calamity. 

A little more cautiously than is truly necessary, they continue their progress along the beach until they reach a gate of sorts, little more than two raised beams to mark the village’s entrance. There’s an old man standing near one of the beams, looking out toward the sea. When he hears Horse approach, the old man looks up at them, eyebrows raised high. 

"We don't often get visitors coming from that way. You must be adventurers, right? I'm Rozel, the village's chief. If you tell me where you're going, I should be able to help." 

"This is Lurelin, right?" 

"Right as rain."

"Then I've reached my destination," Link announces, jumping down from Horse. "I've been told this could be a good place to ask some questions I have." 

The old man is surprised by that declaration, though that is quickly replaced by fear once he spots Meep whose cloak fell back during the ride. 

"It's fine, she's my... pet," Link explains, a little ashamed for having used that word. It's easier than trying to explain a monster friend though. "She's perfectly tame, and we're not here to cause problems. I'm... I'm a _ researcher _." 

Rozel's eyes dart back to him, disbelief obvious on his face. Link can't blame him. With his old, too small clothes, his ripped sleeves, his hair almost rock hard from dried salt after going swimming a few times, he probably doesn't look too scientific. Still, it's not exactly a lie, so he decides to keep going with that version of the truth. 

"I've been told Lurelin is one of the last villages on the coast," he says. "And I have a few questions to ask about the sea." 

"Ah. You're here for treasure then?" Rozel asks with a knowing nod. 

"Not really, no." 

"A study of local fish then? There are many varieties living here." 

"Nope, not that either, though I won't mind learning a bit about that too." 

"Eventide Island then?" Rozel gasps, horrified at the thought. "It's a bad, dangerous place and I could not let you..." 

"I want to learn what's on the other side of the sea," Link cuts him, "and how to get there." 

It's a simple clean goal, but Rozel stares at him as if he's said he likes to eviscerate babies, make sausage out of them, and feed them to pigs. 

"Nobody goes out there," the old man protests. 

"Aren't you people fishermen?" 

There is a least one boat attached to a dock inside the creek, and Link can see a few smaller ones on the beach. They can't be there just for decoration. 

"We stick to the coast!" Rozen exclaims. "The goddesses only created Hyrule, all around there is only death and barren deserts, but in Hyrule is true peace under Hylia's guidance." 

That same weird thing Jini had said, that the dead boy used to believe in. It sounds wrong though. There _ has _to be something else too. If not beyond the sea, then on the other side of Hyrule's other frontiers. The country can't exist in a void. But perhaps Rozen is the wrong person to ask. He's the chief, why would he ever get curious about what's beyond when he already has everything he could want in this village? 

"I'm just curious," Link quickly reassures him. Then, thinking of his encounter with Kass, he adds : "I had heard of ancient songs that spoke of things beyond the sea and I started wondering if there was any truth to it. I obviously would never try to _ actually go there _ because... The goddess's guidance is here and everything. Would you allow me to stay in Lurelin for a few days while I conduct my research?"

Rozel doesn't look entirely convinced by his story, but he calms down. "We have an inn, I'm sure Chessica will have a bed for you ifyou can pay. And I don't suppose I _ can _stop you from asking questions... You won't find anything though. There's nothing beyond the sea, never was."

Link makes sure to thank him profusely for that permission and after being given the direction of the inn, he heads there, Meep on Horse behind him. As they go Link explains to her that they'll have to stay a few days to learn more about the sea. She doesn't mind _ staying _, but makes it clear she would prefer to camp out of town. 

"**I tell them you're my friend**," Link promises. "**No hiding this time. I protect you**." 

The no hiding wins her over. She hates the itchy feeling of fabric on her ears and how it impedes her hearing. 

People in Lurelin are very open and welcoming of Link and Meep once they get past the initial shock of having a monster inside their village. Here they have more problems with lizalfos than bokoblins, so it's easy for them to accept Meep as the sweetheart she is. The children in particular take her in and include her in their games, squealing and crying as she pursues them. It worries their parents at first, for which they can't be blamed, but Meep is deeply aware of their situation and makes sure nothing she does is outright aggressive. Link has only ever seen adult bokoblins, but it's clear Meep has experience with younglings. 

While Meep plays the babysitter, Link gets acquainted with the adults of the village. He would have expected to be treated with suspicion, but instead they are delighted to have someone bring them news of the outside world. 

They are a good deal less willing to chat when Link asks them about travelling on open seas. They try to change the subject every time, asking if he wouldn't rather study the mystical love pond, or the ruins nearby, or just talk about anything except the vast body of water that's at the centre of their lifestyle. It’s a problem of course, because that’s the only thing that really interests Link. So he needs to find a way to win them to his side even though his questions disturb their peace. How to get people to do something they hate?

Somehow, that question makes him think of king Rhoam who tried exactly that on the plateau. What would Rhoam do if he needed something and couldn't just give orders? Lie. Fake interest. Fake _ friendliness_, as he tried with Link. And if he hadn't had Meep to show him what an actual friend was like... 

So Link starts paying attention to what people are willing to tell him. He listens to Rozel's tales of hidden treasure. He buys roasted fish from Armes and ask him about the seasoning. He lets Kiana complain about the difficulties in getting goat butter these days, listen to Sebasto lament about his best fishing spot being overtaken by monsters for weeks now. Most of the time, he finds himself genuinely interested in their problems, so different from his own. _Smaller_ he could be tempted to call them, but that would be unfair. He doesn't need treasure and money to keep a family fed and clothed and alive.

When he's listened enough, he starts helping. He can't get to Rozel's treasure without a boat, but he breaks some pots near his house and repays them several times their worth thanks to some shiny stones he found along the way. He gifts Armes some herbs Meep gathered, so he can try cooking with them. 

For Kiana, he tries something bigger. Goat butter he doesn't know much about, but he's seen butter of some sort at Highland stable when Perosa was cooking. Normally that would be a _ very _ long way away, but there happens to be a shrine just above Lurelin. It's convenient. A little _ too _convenient if he thinks about it, but he doesn't question his luck. 

When he brings her butter (from cow milk, but butter nonetheless), Kiana insists that Link and Meep stay and dine at her place. Sensing an opening, Link quickly accepts and offers to help. 

The process of cooking, _ actually _cooking, is fascinating. Kiana has him clean and slice some carrots while she prepares a nice fat porgy that her husband Sebatso fished. 

"It's so nice to have some butter at last," Kiana says, melting some into a large pan and dropping pieces of fish in it with a fizzy noise. "We haven't had any since Mub’s goat escaped." 

"So you don't get many travelling merchants, uh?" Link notes, adding his sliced carrots to the pan. "Not a lot of visitors here?" 

"Oh we do get visitors. Gerudo, quite often! There's a magic pond in the area, something about meeting true love. But you might want to ask Flavi for that." 

The only other host at the inn, Flavi is a very, very tall woman who always wanders off somewhere all day long. Link hasn't yet had a chance to chat with her, but he hopes to do so soon. People say she's nice and, again, she's _ very _tall. Somehow, Link likes that.

"And visitors all come from inland?" he asks, as innocently as he can manage. 

"Well, sure, where else could they come from?" Sebasto laughs to their side. "There's only one road into Lurelin." 

"I came here by following the beach. Maybe people coming from the north could do the same?" 

"There's nobody up north," Kiana assures him, carefully stirring the contents of the pan so it doesn't burn. 

"There's Hateno that's somewhat near the sea," Sebasto protests. "But they'd take the road inland, it's safer. You're lucky your horse didn't sprain something walking on sand for so long!" 

It's something Link hadn't considered. He doesn't know much about horses. Not anymore. The dead boy did though, so perhaps it will come back to him over time. 

"And nobody has ever arrived by sea?" he insists, knowing he might be pushing his luck. "I mean travelling by boat would probably be pretty fast if you know how to do it." 

"The winds are too wild out there," Sebasto says. "They'll tear through any sail and overturn a boat easy as anything. The only things that's ever arrived by the sea are zoras." 

That word is familiar, but brings no particular image to Link's mind. 

"What are zora?" 

"Oh they're just an old story," Kiana puffs with a smirk. "Nobody _ really _believes in them." 

"My father was there when the giant octorok attacked!" Sebasto immediately protests, which only serves to make his wife chuckle. "I've told you, he was saved by the zora prince!" 

"Your father also saw a dragon on mount Lanayru. He saw just about anything and everything after enough drinks." 

"So zoras are... a fairy tale?"Link asks. 

"No, they're fish warriors who live up north,” Sebasto insists, “past Hateno and mount Lanayru. It's a long, long trip from here, but some travellers have told us about them. So they are real, but they are dangerous. Some of them have been known to attack hylians!" 

That makes for a fearsome mental image. Link pictures a giant carp with sharp teeth... And he wonders if they would taste good. If one attacks him and he kills it in self defence, it's not weird to eat it. He did it with the lizalfos and the chuchus, he can do it with a zora. 

For now though, there's better things to eat. Fried fish and carrots with a side of white rice. Kiana calls for her kids who arrive carried by Meep, the two boys delighted that she can lift both of them at once. The food is good, and so is the company. Link stops trying to get them talking about the sea and instead listens to Sebasto’s wild tale about a giant fish prince being eaten by an even bigger monster and killing it from the inside. It's a ridiculous story that Link translate to Meep so she can laugh with them. 

In the morning, Link offers to help Sebasto get his fishing spot back, but asks to be taken there by boat. 

"I've passed by it, I can't reach it on my own," he points out. "It's in the middle of the water and if I swim all the way there, I'll be lizalfos food." 

"I can't take you there, it's too dangerous! If you're close enough to jump on the platform, they're close enough to attack me!" 

"That's why we're taking Meep," Link explains, patting his friend's shoulder. Meep smiles and takes out her bow, as they had rehearsed. "She's a good shot. She'll cover for me while I get on the platform, and then the two of you can retreat until I'm done."

It's the perfect plan. It will also give Link a chance to check the boats really are as bad as everyone says, and to figure out how to steer one. 

Still, for how much it has helped him to emulate Rhoam, Link cannot be as dishonest. 

"You realise they'll be back, right? Next blood moon, you're losing your fishing spot again." 

"I want to build a new platform, closer to home, but I need some more money first. I'll fish there until the next blood moon and earn enough for that." 

Link nods. Maybe he'll break and pay back some more pots before he leaves. He likes Sebasto and his family and money is easy to make when he can shrine hop to sell whatever he's fished or hunted. 

It takes them a good day and a half to reach Aris Beach, and by then Link has to admit Sebasto’s boat isn't fit for open seas. It's barely even fit for cruising the coast with how much water it takes in, although Sebasto assures him that's normal. Link tries hard to trust him on that, but he's glad they're always within swimming distance of the beach. Meep on the other hand hates everything about their trip and makes it clear she's never doing that again. Link can't blame her because unlike him, she sinks immediately even in salt water. Bokoblins aren't made for swimming.

At least, the fight on the fishing platform is an easy one. Sure a few times Link gets those... Death sensations. Premonitions? One time a lizalfos slices his throat. Another guts him with a spear. The last time it happens, he falls into water and a lizalfos jumps after him to hold his head underwater for a few minutes. Each time he blinks and is sent back to moments before getting killed. Premonitions, he tells himself, even though the pain felt real each time. It's all fake though, because people can't just die like that and be brought back. And it's worth it in the end to see Sebasto’s relieved smile when he can set foot again on the platform. 

The three of them stay there for a few days, Link and Meep helping with fishing and preparing what they catch so it can be transported to nearby stables and Hateno. It's fun work. Link and Meep get to eat some of the fish that are too damaged to sell. This fresh, they're delicious even raw. 

If he can't find a way to leave Hyrule, Lurelin would be a good place to settle. 

When they finally get back to Lurelin with a boat full of fish, Link is greeted as a hero for his help. The platform is Sebasto's favourite spot, but others use it too when they can. Rozel straight out asks Link to abandon whatever foolish quest he's set for himself and stay with them instead, as a guard of sorts. Meep and him would be fed and paid, they'd have their own house. It's honestly a more tempting offer than it should be. 

That night, in the inn, Link explains to his bokoblin friend what they're being offered. This concerns her too after all, he can't make such a decision for her. 

"**We stay here?** " Meep asks. "**You like it here?**" 

"**I like it. But I want to see what's after the sea. Maybe there are other places. Better ones.**" 

Places far away from calamity Ganon and the destruction it might cause someday. Away, also, from a land that Link is supposed to die for. He doesn't _ want _ to die. Living is too fun and full of food and _ friends_. Hyrule isn't his problem.

Meep nods and pats his arm. "**We go. But the boat here are bad. Maybe another village?**" 

"**They say, no other village with boat**," Link explains. The only other village still standing is this Hateno place where salted fish are sent, but if that's the main trade with Hateno then it's unlikely they fish themselves or have boats. Still, he gets the impression Hateno is a slightly bigger place. Maybe over there he can find... Something. _Anything_. Any way out of Hyrule would be great. 

"**We go to other village with no boat,**" he suggests. "**If we find nothing, we come back here. Eat good fish everyday. Yes?**" 

"**Eat fish, fight lizalfos**," Meep agrees with a grin. "**It's a good life**." 

It does sound pretty nice, and Link won't be too disappointed if Hateno doesn't hold anything of interest. 


	8. Hateno

There is no actual road from Lurelin to Hateno, though there is a mountain path at the base of Mount Dunsel. Link doesn't realise what that means when Sebasto explains, because he has memories of great paved roads in Castle Town so to him, everything he's seen so far was a path. He was not ready for the narrow trails among huge rocky outcrops, the hugh climbs and deep descents on unstable terrain. Most of the time they go by foot, Meep guiding Horse who takes it all in stride. Whatever else that stupid beast is, at least it is not easily unnerved. 

The narrow trails aren't the only danger on the way. Every night in the mountain they are surrounded by dead creatures that come closer to the light than Link has ever known them to do. He catches glimpses of them sometimes, moving bones and red eyes,gastly figures that growl and snarl. One, having perhaps retained more of its former identity, tries to throw dirt on their fire to extinguish it. After that, Meep and Link start taking turns sleeping. It's the only way to make sure they can survive the night. 

It's worth it though to come out of the mountain one day and be greeted by a view of Hateno in the distance, sprawled on a hill. Even from afar there's a liveliness to the village with its many houses and smoking chimneys. It looks more like a small town than a village actually, though maybe the name stuck because it used to be much smaller. Link thinks the dead boy knew this place because his heart starts beating a little harder for a moment, but he pushes the thought aside. He has no time for the emotions of that boy. 

They arrive to Hateno late the day after, having pushed Horse a little longer than usual for a chance to finally sleep somewhere no skeletons will try to murder them. On that last stretch of their journey they see a lot of bokoblins (easily outrun by Horse) and it worries Link. Nobody in Lurelin minded Meep because their main trouble was lizalfos, but here it might be harder to get her accepted. 

As they get close to the village's gate, Meep arranges her cloak to hide herself as well as she can, and Link jumps down from Horse to wave at the man guarding the entrance. The man bares his teeth and points a pitchfork at Link. 

"Who... Who are you? I demand answers! If you're up this late, you're probably up to no good!" 

Link quickly raises his hands above his head. "I'm just a traveler!" 

The man glares at him for a brief moment before putting away his weapon. "Hrm? You certainly do appear to be hylian like the rest of us... Hylians are generally good folks so... Sorry for getting all worked up... You're free to go."

Link can't help but grimace. He's sure the dead boy has met plenty of bad hylians in his days. Rhoam at the very least comes to mind. And what of other folks? Link never managed to actually chat with that gerudo in Lurelin, but she seemed like a very decent woman. 

“We're just a waypoint on your winding road, uh?” the man says with a smile. “Ah, the life of a traveler. Well you can get most things you need at the general store, and the inn is just back there. Oh, I'm Thadd by the way, and... Wait, what's that thing with you?"

The pitchfork is back, pointed at Horse and Meep. 

"Oh that's my horse. Ugly, I know. It bites too. If you have a butcher in town, I'm selling!" 

"I mean on the horse!" 

Link sighs. Thadd is just a farmer, it's unlikely he'd hit Meep even if he tried. Hand position is all wrong. Stance is worse. Even spooked, he won't be a real danger, but even an untrained man can get lucky.

"**Show your face** ," Link calls to Meep, keeping his eyes on Thadd. " **Slow. I'll protect you.**" 

"**If I am hurt, I bite you**," Meep warns. 

She obeys though. There is a rustling of fabric, and Thadd's horrified gasp to prove it. 

"I know she looks scary," Link quickly says, jumping between his friend and the farmer. "But she's nice and she's never hurt anyone. She's... tame. She's a tamed pet. I swear the horse is more likely to bite you than she is of hurting you." 

"It's a monster!" 

"It's my friend," Link insists. "We're just here for... I'm a researcher and she's my friend and bodyguard. Look at me, I need all the protection I can get, right?" 

"A bodyguard?" 

That does catch Thadd's attention enough that he relaxes the grip on his weapon, so Link decides to stick with it. 

"Look at me, I'm half your size and I weigh eight apples and a half," he says with a deprecative laugh. "You think I'd survive two minutes alone out there? But she was wounded, I healed her, and now we're a team. You won't deny my work partner entrance into you village ?" Link asks with mock horror. 

"But it's a monster," Thadd retorts, a little less assured. "I can't... Listen. Can you wait here? I can't make that decision but I'll get someone who can." 

That is the most stupid thing Link has ever heard, but he smiles and nods, and Thadd runs to get someone with more authority. He's lucky Link really doesn't have bad intentions because he could just get inside the village and bomb everything if he felt like it, and nobody could stop him. It tells him that there's no real threat on the village, not even those bokoblins they passed in the forest. 

"**Do we stay?** " Meep asks. " **He is gone. We can go in.**" 

"**He is not the leader. We wait a little. I tell them you are not dangerous.**" 

"**I am very dangerous!** " Meep protests. " **I am more dangerous than you! Little hylian squirrel...**" 

"**Bokoblin hog** ," Link cheerfully replied. Meep starts growling something, but he raises his hand to stop her. " **People are coming. We are good. We don't scare them.**" 

"**I am always good**," Meep retorts, adjusting her cloak. 

Thadd returns, accompanied by a man not much older than him who looks as if he's been pulled out of his bed for this. In spite of being hastily dressed and having pillow marks on his face, he does manage to smile at Link in a somewhat sincere manner. 

"I am the head of Hateno village. Call me Reede. And you are... an adventurer with a bokoblin escort, I understand ?"

"A researcher," Link corrects. "My friend Meep is very well behaved. We've just visited Lurelin and we were very well treated there."

"Ah, so you must have met Anan?" 

The name doesn't sound familiar and Link frowns, trying to remember if such a person was ever mentioned to him. 

"I don't believe I have, sir. I only stayed there a little under two weeks, if that person was traveling to sell fish to a stable I won't have met them." 

"At least you're honest enough not to pretend," Reede notes. "There's no Anan in Lurelin that I know of. But you might have heard of a girl from there who moved here recently?" 

"You must mean Rozel's daughter Ralera," Link replies, trying not to be annoyed that the man is testing him. It's a smart thing for him to do. It's still annoying. "She got married to... Rhodes some months ago, right? Rozel talks about her a lot and he asked me to greet her for him." 

Reede nods. "So you really have been in Lurelin recently. I suppose I should let you in, but your companion..." 

"She is nice, she wouldn't hurt a fly except to protect me," Link promises. "We don't want to stay in Hateno very long anyway, I just want to ask some questions, check a few things, and then we'll probably go back to Lurelin." 

"What things are you so interested then?" 

A tough question. The truth, wanting to escape Hyrule, will be as badly received here as it was received everywhere else. Saying he's doing a fish survey won't work so far from water. 

"I'm interested in commercial routes that might have existed before the Calamity," he says instead. "Do you know how _ bad _ some of the road network is? There's _ nothing _between Lurelin and Hateno! But I've been wondering if maybe people used to travel by boat more. On the coast it would have been so much more efficient, and..." 

"Yes, yes, I get your point," Reede sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine, the two of you can come in, but leave you weapons to us. A precaution, you'll understand." 

That's not a problem at all. Link hands over his nearly broken sword, while Meep gives the old bow she's had since the plateau. They both have better stuff stored inside the slate, although it's unlikely they'll need it. Reede pushes the kindness to the point of guiding them to the inn, though it might just be to make sure they go there and don't make trouble.

  


If Hateno seemed big from a distance, actually being inside it is just overwhelming. The place has streets (not many, sure, but Lurelin barely had even one) and it expands too far to see all of it at once. The food is also different. Less fish, but a lot more rice and vegetables, all locally grown. Cooked they are delicious, but Link still wants a chance to try them raw too. There's a general store in town, Sebasto told him, and if he can't find it he'll just have to steal from a field. 

In the cool morning air, Meep and him walk down the street until they get to the gate. Thadd isn't there anymore, replaced by another young farmer in deep discussion with a stout man. Link had wanted to ask Thadd about the local landmarks and the shop, but that's not an option. He stands to the side, wondering how many people have already been warned about Meep and thus can be approached safely, when the stout man spots him and waves at him. 

"You must be our new visitor!" he exclaims, walking toward them. "I'm Seldon, and I'm in charge of giving a tour of Hateno to travelers. Would that interest you?" 

"Well..." 

"You're in luck you know! I'm a lifelong resident, and I'd love to show you around!" 

That's a little too much enthusiasm but they have nothing better to do. And to be fair, Seldon turns out to be a pretty decent guide. He takes them to the general store where Link makes a stop to grab arrows for Meep and food for both of them (raw rice is very unpleasant, but the local milk is thick and creamy). He also takes the chance to sell some of the fish he brought from Lurelin, noting that Pruce pays less than the price Sebasto told him was normal. 

After that, Seldon takes them to a dyeing atelier (Meep won't get close because of the smell) and to the inn (Seldon is very disappointed to realise they already have a room there, so Link has to comfort him and say it was a good effort). But the last stop of their tour is for something Seldon promises to be very special, something no other village or town has. 

Which isn't wrong, because that's his own shop. 

Just for the shrewdness of using his hobby as an advertisement method, Link has to buy a few things there. He gets new trousers and a cloak similar to Meep's so he too can hide his face, but decides to keep his old shirt. The shop's selection isn't bad, but he rather enjoy the way some people will blush looking at the skin exposed by his too short, sleeveless rags. It's probably embarrassment more than actual interest in what he's showing, but the reaction is fun anyway. He also enjoys knowing the dead boy wouldn't have been caught dead wearing that... Except that's exactly what's happening now. A little victory over that boy's inhibitions. 

In the end that tour didn't teach him much, but it gave the people of Hateno a chance to see him go around with Meep. She refuses to wear the cloak here since people already know what she is, but nobody screams at the sight of her so perhaps it doesn't matter. Children are very curious about her, following them around only to run laughing if Link looks at them. It's a game he played sometimes with... With someone who has neither name nor face anymore. 

Smaller than him, hair a shade darker, a smile that illuminated the room. And she was in Castle Town when the Calamity came, their entire family was, because finally she had been deemed old enough to be introduced at court and... 

"**Calm** ," Meep orders, taking his hand. " **No danger. You are safe**." 

Link breathes in and wipes away tears, pushing away the vision of a large city in flames. That is the dead boy's pain, not his. The dead boy's family. The dead boy's loss. None of this concerns him. 

"**Sorry, bug in my eye**," Link claims, knowing perfectly way that's a pitiful excuse. 

Still Meep has the kindness to pretend she believes him. And when it happens again (_ the river. They went swimming once. She got a cold. He was scolded. The sword chose you, grow up _ ) and again ( _ he stole an apple from that tree and ate it in front of her to annoy her because she was too short to reach it _ ) and again ( _ it was winter and they rolled in the snow, that last year before the sword _ ) Link can more easily push away the surge of emotion and pretend nothing is wrong. It's not even a lie. None of those memories are _ his _. 

The easiest way to ignore the dead boy's past, Link finds, is to chat with people. This might be a bigger place than Lurelin, but it's just as isolated and people are eager for news of the outside world. They want to hear about relatives who went to live in another settlement, about young people of marriage age who could be interested in their own offspring, about the state of the roads and the number of monsters in the wild. It's the same little problems as they had in Lurelin, but again to them that stuff is a huge deal. Calamity Ganon might destroy them someday if it strikes again, but Dantz can't keep taking care of his cows alone or the work will kill him for sure, and they all need good roads or they won't be able to sell their rice and that could mean a very hard year ahead. Ganon can threaten all he likes, these people have more urgent problems to deal with.

When people hear about Link's supposed research into sea routes, they are usually very excited about it. Until they realise it means some of _ them _would have to actually take boats and. The sea is barely a day or two away, but many of the villagers have never seen it because of monster camps. Or at least, that's their excuse. Link suspects that like the people of Lurelin they're afraid of strong winds and currents that won't let anyone go too far from the coast. If high sea travel has ever existed in Hyrule, knowledge of it seems so lost that the very idea is foreign to people. And yet there has to be a way out of Hyrule. No country can survive this long cut off from the world, can it? 

But asking about what's beyond the borders of Hyrule always leads to the same answer: _ The goddesses only created Hyrule, all around there is only death and barren deserts, but in Hyrule is true peace under Hylia's guidance _. An annoying litany for sure, but one that says a lot about Hyrule. 

Still Link keeps pushing for answers, at least with the people who have time for his questions. 

Like Uma, a sweet old lady who spends her days sitting outside and watches the children play. She is, by her own admission, almost the oldest person in the village, and she clearly enjoys having the company of a "handsome young lad" as she calls Link. So while Meep takes over the babysitting, Link chats with Uma. She tells him about her youth in the age of burning fields, about seeing the very last wave of refugees, years after the initial attack when some villages died out not because of guardian attacks or monsters, but due to isolation and lack of resources. 

"Things are better now of course," she says after each story of her youth. "These children here have hardly ever known hunger. Much was lost, but I like to think we gained a few things too. My grandmother told me young men used to be drafted into the king's army, and people had to pay heavy taxes to the king and to the lord on the hill."

"A lord?" Link asks, looking up toward the top of the hill. There's a big house there and while it looks lived in, he's never seen anyone come down from there. 

"Oh, that's what they called a man who ruled under the king," Uma explains with a kind smile. "Usually they were also knights, and trained to protect their people from attacks. Most of them died fighting the Calamity of course. And now we have director Purah up there, though at least she stopped trying to collect taxes long ago."

A thought : _ that'd be just like Purah to try at all _. Link pushes it away, and just notes that apparently the dead boy knew someone by the same name. 

"You know, a curious lad like you might want to visit the laboratory," Uma suggests, patting his arm. "Director Purah is a rude old thing, but sometimes she takes in young people to work with her. Sheikahs usually, but she might make an exception for you."

"What's a sheikah?" 

He's only heard the word a handful of time, usually about the slate, but also from those odd monks in the shrines. The dead boy knew more about that, but Link is a little tired of dealing with his memories right now. 

"Oh they are... Well, I hear they were servants of the royal family, but there's no longer one to serve, is there? Director Purah does research in her laboratory, and I've heard the others just stay in their village and hide there. They are not... terribly _ popular _. It might only be a rumour, but... " Uma looks around, as if worried she might be heard, and whispers :"My grandmother and other folks who lived through the Calamity used to say it was the sheikah who created the guardians that killed so many." 

_ They did _, the dead boy screams from within, rage and pain so strong it almost takes Link's breath away. There is something about Hateno that brings out the dead boy and Link realises he won't be able to stay there much longer if he wants to keep the boy at bay. 

"They don't seem like very nice people, those sheikah," Link says, forcing himself to smile in spite of the ghost screaming inside him. "I like learning, but I'm not sure I'd want to work for that director even if she allowed it." 

"Well, you still might want to try and visit the laboratory," Uma replies. "They have a library there. I went inside once as a little girl, and they had more books than I have ever seen since, some very old looking. You might find something for your research." 

That does sound interesting, and Link promises he'll think about it. Inside the dead boy warns him he needs to stay away from sheikahs, but Link just ignores him and asks Uma if she might show him how to do those delicious baked apples she gives the children sometimes. She has a fondness for those, and it's his way to thank her for her patience... And the apples really do taste so sweet that way. 


	9. Hateno Tech Lab

It's quite a trek up to the laboratory, and one that Link wishes he didn't need to take alone. It seemed unwise to being Meep up there though, what with the dead boy's constant screaming about the danger of sheikahs, so she stayed in Hateno proper to help Uma watch over the children. They've only been there a few days, but the kids all like her. They'll probably be sad when she leaves but unlike Lurelin, staying in Hateno isn't an option. Link has come to the realisation that the dead boy lived there once, and now he can't wait to escape this place and never return. 

But first, he wants to check the laboratory's library. 

All the way up there, memories belonging to the dead boy try to emerge. A mother, a father, a sister, a grandmother even, their faces forgotten, their voices reduced to intonations, but the impression of their presence still strong, the emotions painful to process. Their loss was part of what pushed the dead boy to his breaking point, allowing Link to exist instead. 

The laboratory is a familiar building, covered in unfamiliar additions. That empty forge didn't use to be there, nor that frog statue, that telescope and those guardian remains. Other things were always there, the tower with his father's office high up so he won't be disturbed, the door to their bedroom, now condemned... Even the apple tree remains, though his mother's little garden isn't there anymore.

Link knocks on the door, the gesture odd for a place where he used to go in so easily. There's no answer but he hears movement inside so he knocks again. After a long silence, a voice beckons him inside. 

If the exterior of the house was an odd sight, the interior is a shock. Walls have been brought down, the furniture is all gone, replaced by shelf after shelf of books and tables covered in yet more books and sheets of papers. Where the kitchen was once, there is now a pedestal and a hanging stone, much like the ones Link saw on the plateau. 

There's also two strangers in the house, a very young girl with white hair and big glasses, and a man with his nose in a book. The man doesn't appear to have noticed Link, but the girl is glaring at him, perhaps because she can't see his face. If Link were polite he'd pull back the hood of his cloak, but the dead boy is screaming not to let the sheikahs see him, and Link can give him that at least. 

"Hello," the child greets him coldly. "This is Hateno ancient tech lab. Do you have some business with the director? The director is in the back. A terribly busy person, that one. Please try to keep it brief."

"I thought the director was a woman," Link protests.

The child's glare intensifies. 

"Then you were badly informed. You can't listen to everything you're told down in Hateno. They usually get things wrong." 

Well the children were certainly right about a little girl living in the laboratory, and people in general were right to warn him the sheikahs were rude. Uma was also right about there being many books in there, so Link forces himself to stay polite. He thanks the rude child, and walks to the man in the back. 

"Hi, you must be director Purah? I've come here in hope to check your library and..." 

"Oh, hello!" the man greets him, closing his book and turning to look his way. His face is younger than Link expected. Maybe the white hair is just a sheikah thing, since the little girl is the same. 

"Here for the library you say? Yes, I imagine you've never seen so many books in one place. Pretty incredible, isn't it? We've gathered all of Hyrule's known literature on ancient civilisations here. As for the actual number of books, well..." the director stops, his eyes on the sheikah slate at Link’s waist, and his expression changes. "Hmm? Is that... That thing on your waist? Is that a sheikah... There's no mistaking it. That's a real sheikah slate, isn’t it?"

Behind them the little girl drops something. Link turns his head to look her way, but that's a mistake. In his second of inattention, the director grabs the slate from his side and starts inspecting it. 

"Hey that's mine!"

"Yes, of course, but... I've never actually seen one in person! If you could just let me check the runes on it, I'd be most appreciative? Stasis... Ah. Magnesis, yes yes. The remote bomb and cryonis... And what else?"

He tries touching different part of the screen, a deep frown forming. "Let's see... So that's it for runes? But... Hm... Strange... It doesn't seem like you have the basic runes... I don't understand why they're missing. There must be some reason..." 

The director briefly glances behind Link before handing him back the slate with an apologetic smile. "You _ could _use the guidance stone here to reboot those runes. But before you can do that, you'll need approval from Lady Impa in Kakariko village."

"Oh. Well, I don't really care about _ that _ to be honest. I just came here so I could check your library? You see I'm a _ researcher._ I am interested in a study of what lies beyond the borders of Hyrule." 

Again the director glances behind them. Link turns, but there's only that little girl with them who smiles at him too innocently. Link is starting to know a thing or two about pretending to be nice, and he can tell the child is playing that game too.

"You'll need approval for that too," the director says. "You must understand, these books are very old and very precious, we cannot let just anyone look at them, can we? But if you go to Lady Impa and asks for her permission, I'm sure she'll allow it."

"Because of the slate?" Link asks, his eyes on the little girl. Her lips get thinner, as if she's biting the inside of her mouth to stay quiet. Isn't there something familiar about her anyway? As if the dead boy met her before... But of course, for once that his input is actually _ needed _, no memory from the dead boy resurfaces. 

"What, that funny old thing?" the little girl says, purposely avoiding to look at the slate. "I don't know where you got it, but from what I heard it's not even working well, is it? You'll need something better than that to impress Lady Impa. It'd be worth it though. We have histories of Hyrule dating back to the age of myths, I'm sure you would find something of interest for your... _ research _."

By the time Link makes his way back to Hateno, it's late afternoon. He finds Meep where he left her, sitting with Uma and a little kid who is telling them a story of some sort. Both Meep and Uma look like they have trouble following the child's ramblings, but they nod from time to time to encourage him anyway. Meep seems deeply relieved when she notices Link, and she jumps to her feet to come meet him.

“**It went bad?**” she asks.

“**I don’t like the people in the big house. They say I must ask their leader first. I don’t like them. But they have many stories. Maybe their stories tell us how to leave?**”

At least, Link hopes so. If he ends up jumping through hoops to satisfy these sheikahs only to find out their entire library is useless to him…

“**We try** ,” Meep replies. “ **The leader is in another place, yes?**”

“**A different village. We have to travel there**.”

Meep nods at the news. “**It’s good. This is a bad place for you, we go away. When we come back, we don’t stay long. It’s a bad place for you.**”

Link laughs nervously. It’s not wrong, but he had hoped to have done a better job of hiding how much the dead boy’s memories affect him. But between nightmares and flashes of emotions that paralyse him for a few seconds or several minutes, he shouldn’t be surprised that Meep noticed. At least she’s not judging him. He doesn’t know if he could handle her disdain if she started thinking less of him.

“**We go to the other village, we come back here and leave again soon,” ** Link promises. ** “You are right. It’s a bad place.**”

Meep nods again, clearly satisfied with that answer. With that out of the way, Link starts asking her about her day. Before Meep can say much, they are joined by the kid who was with her and Uma.

The child, Teebo, pulls on Link’s cloak with a grin. “Hey mister!"

"What is it, buddy?" Link asks, forcing a smile.

The child grins. "You'll never guess what I found! Wanna see?" 

It's been a long day and truly Link just wants to go to the inn, eat something, and starts planning their trip to Kakariko. But Teebo's enthusiasm is communicative, and Meep seems curious about it. 

"Yeah, I sure do" 

"Kay! Follow me!" 

Teebo starts running, Meep and Link closely behind. The boy takes them to a less frequented part of the village where new houses are being built and old ones destroyed. It's dangerous playground for a kid, but at the last moment Teebo takes a turn and rather than the work areas, he leads them down a small path and near a pound. It's a pretty enough place but not very exciting and Link wants to ask what the big deal was, but Teebo grins and points at some rocks. 

"Here it is! Neat, uh?" 

Upon closer inspection, Link discovers that one of the rocks is, in fact, and old statue, weathered and covered in bird droppings. There is something familiar about it... 

"It looks kinda like the statue at the chief's house," Teebo point out, bringing fingers to each side of his head to mimic the statue's horns. "What do you think it is?" 

It does look like the goddess statue near Reede's house, which makes Link grimace. He's been avoiding that statue like the plague, remembering what happened at the temple of time. _ This _statue is different though. The horns give it a different air, and with dirt and lichen invading it there's something pitiful to it. 

Without thinking, Link wipes about some dead leaves from it head, only for a voice to emerge from the statue. "Ah... So there are some who still pay me homage." 

"You can talk?!" Link yelps, jumping back. 

There is a brief silence and he wonders if he imagined this before the statue speaks again. "You don't say... You can _ hear _my voice?" 

Link glances at Teebo and Meep, both staring at him as if he's gone mad. But that's not a first. Meep can't hear the girl's voice who sometimes tries to give him orders. 

"Yes, I can... hear you? 

"Now that is a surprise," the statue replies, sounding both relieved and delighted. "What were you praying for? Long life? Wealth, like so many of your kind? Whichever it was, you came to the right place." 

"I _ wasn't _praying", Link tries to protest, the very idea unbearable. Praying was something the dead boy did, and what good did it do him?

"A dealer in life and power... That was me, once," the statue continues as if it never heard the interruption. "Alas, my life-for-money bargains didn't sit well with the Goddess Hylia. She trapped me in this stone statue long, long ago." 

It's the first time Link hears the name Hylia pronounced with such hatred, and instantly the statue is that much more sympathetic of a character. It's nice to know others too had their life ruined by the goddess. 

"The villagers here call me the horned statue and don't even bother to wipe the bird droppings," it complains. "One would think years upon years of such treatment would have made me mend my ways... One would think wrongly. I have only been biding my time for the moment someone who can hear me appears. Someone such as _ you _." 

It's only a trick of the light, but for a brief moment the statue appears to be smirking. 

"But I've said enough. Now then, shall we strike a bargain?" Link shakes his head, only to be ignored. "Stay that way. No further action on your part is required."

Dark light surround Link and before he can run, something invisible reaches inside his chest and pulls at his heart until four dark spheres are torn from his chest and absorbed by the statue. 

"Fa ha ha... My touch is as subtle as ever," the statue gloats. "Note how I took that essence from you without leaving a mark." 

Clutching at his chest, Link glares at the statue, struggling to get his breath back. Perhaps it left no marks but the pain is still there, his heart throbbing. Meep grabs his hand to make him sit, while Teebo mutters something about Link being weird before running away. 

"What's wrong then?" the statue sneers. "Have your prayers gone unanswered? Fa ha ha..." the laughter subsides, and the statue's voice loses some of its edge as if it notices Link's distress. "Did you think I'd deceive you? Perish the thought. I hope ours will be a long and profitable relationship. So which will it be? As I may have mentioned once or twice, I'm a dealer in life and power. I can provide a valuable service to you." 

"I want nothing from you," Link hisses. "Keep the orbs if you want them that badly." 

"Everyone wants _ something _. Power, riches... a longer life, or the return of loved ones perhaps?" 

"What, you can bring back the dead?" Link snarls. 

His sister's smile, his mother singing, his father sternly trying to prepare him for something that scared them both. Link _ isn't _the dead boy, never will be, but he feels the ghost's pain for the loss of those so dear to him and if there’s a way to cure some of that ache...

"Within the confines of her realm, only Hylia has true power over life and death," the statue sighs, almost sounding sorry. "A _ghost_ I could bring back, but not those who accepted their own passing... And even then, the price would be much higher than those few orbs you gave me." 

"Then give us a way to escape Hyrule!" Link shouts. "Or is _ that _also something you can't do?" 

He glares at the statue, wanting so badly to grab it by the horns and topple it into the nearby pond. He would if not for Meep sitting at his side, holding his shoulders and encouraging him to calm down. 

"Perhaps if I were given every spirit orbs, I might become powerful enough to attempt such a feat," the statue muses. "But I would need help. If you are willing to enter a contract with me..." 

Link jumps to his feet, pushing Meep away as both him and the dead boy are filled with rage at the offer. "I've made a contract with someone all powerful before!" he spits. "If I couldn't trust Hylia herself, why would I trust some... Some forgotten _demon_ covered in bird shit?" 

"Because I'm the only one who can help you," the statue replies with far too much compassion. "If not today, then tomorrow or the day after. Sooner or later you will see if you want to resist fate, I am your _only_ ally. But until then... I fear you will need Hylia's protection a little longer." 

The four spirit orbs re-emerge from the statue and are thrown at Link's chest again. The re-entry is a little less painful and Link breathes a bit more easily, the rage of the dead boy a little less loud in his mind now.

"You could have kept them," Link hisses. 

"Not with how you've done so far. I have told you, haven't I? Hylia alone has absolute power over life and death, and that is part of her 'gift' to her chosen hero. How else would you have cheated death so often and returned to take again the challenges that overcame you?" 

"I'm just good at fighting!" Link retorts, but no reply comes from the statue. 

If not for the lingering ache in his chest, Link might as well have imagined the whole conversation. Maybe he did. It's this blasted village and the damn dead boy who cannot stay out of his business that are driving him crazy. When he looks at Meep, prepared to laugh it off, he sees worry and fear in her eyes, the same expression she has when speaking of the dead that roam at night. 

"**I heard a voice** ," Link explains. " **It's over now**." 

"**Something hurt you. I cannot hear it, I cannot see it, but I feel it. Something _strong_. It hurt you.**" 

Instinctively Link clutches at his chest. The ache is almost gone now, just a few more minutes and he can pretend nothing happened. But if Meep felt a presence then maybe it was real. He doesn't want it to be. He'd rather try his chance with the sheikahs than with some obscure god who won't even guarantee success. 

"**I'm fine** ," he promises Meep. " **I walked too much under the sun. We go rest now?**" 

Meep's eyes narrow in suspicion, but she doesn't insist. Just as well because Link would have had to continue lying and he doesn't like doing that, not to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: the horned statue never introduces itself as a demon, though I've seen a lot of people call it that. At least, it doesn't during that first conversation.


	10. Kakariko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for: graphic violence

Link thanks Sophie for her work one last time as he exits the shop with his new pouch in hand. For something she did in less than a day and with his old tattered trousers as materials, it's good work, easily attached at his belt and just the right size to hide the sheikah slate from prying eyes. With this taken care of, he joins Meep on Horse's back and they finally leave Hateno. 

It's good to be on the road again, free from the dead boy's memories. Even Horse seems in a good mood as they gallop down the gentle slopes around Hateno. Meep, happy to have her bow back, kills a nice fat bird for their dinner even though they have more than enough food stored in the slate. They're not even bothered by the dead that first night (_ stalfos _, the people of Hateno called them, trembling as much as Meep does). 

It's a pleasant few days through forest and plains with little to bother them save occasionally some bokoblins they pass by, and even those usually prefer continuing their nap than try to run after a horse. However unpleasant Hateno was, the region around it is nice as long as Link doesn't let his mind dwell too much on the many ruins they come across. Some have marks of guardian blasts, but most look like they were just abandoned. A few have been reclaimed by bokoblins and tall monsters with long snouts... _Moblins_ is a word that comes to Link's mind for them. It must upset hylian travellers to see their old homes become monster dens, but it's not like they were using them anymore and monsters too need a shelter from the elements, don't they? And while the area is mostly blessed with pleasant weather, when it does rain it's a torrential downpour that soaks them to the bone and reduces their field of vision. 

It is under such weather that one morning they arrive one day to what remains of an old defensive wall. It must have once been part of an impressive fortress, but now it is decrepit and barely maintained. 

The more he looks at it, the less Link wants to know what's on the other side. Still, it's the only way they can get to Kakariko so he urges Horse on... Only to stop it a few meters from that door. There's something terrible on the other side, something he's not sure he can face. 

"Oh, a tourist!" someone says nearby. Link forces his eyes open, wondering when he even closed them, and discovers a man not much older than him, smiling. "Come to pay your respect, uh?" 

"My... Respects ?" 

"This place is history!" the young man insists. "Don't you know the story of the warrior who fought here at fort Hateno?"

Link shakes his head, though something about that sounds familiar. "Tell me?" 

That might have been a mistake, as the other hylian grins with a little too much enthusiasm. 

"So, a hundred years ago we had these special warriors called champions," he explains, waving his hands. "The warrior who fought here was supposedly one of them. I heard the others all died in the Big Fight. You know, the Calamity? The warrior though... Some say he gave his life here too. But others think he went into a deep sleep to prepare to fight another day. Which would mean he's _ still alive _, right? I wonder if I'll still be around when he wakes up. I'd love to meet the guy."

"Wouldn't he be an old man after all that time?" Link teases in an effort to ignore the way his heart clenches at learning _this_ is where the dead boy lost his life. "Bet he's nothing very impressive if he's still alive." 

"You wouldn't understand. I've dedicated my life to this place! It's almost hard to believe, but they managed to hold back a whole horde of guardians here. If not for fort Hateno and the warrior, there'd be no such place as Hateno Village anymore. This warrior saved all that's left of Hyrule!"

That doesn't sound right. It doesn't match with what little Link can remember of the dead boy's last moments, the pain and despair and rage at being _ powerless_. Whatever happened here to save Hyrule wasn't the doing of Hylia's chosen hero. Still, if that pretty little tale can give comfort to some people, good for them. Link thanks the young man for his story, even gives him a few rupees when he mentions a fund to maintain the fort's ruins, and then moves on. 

Once they pass through the door, Link is breathless. There are dozens, perhaps hundreds of Guardians littered all over a vast plain, immobile under the heavy rain. Link's heart is sent racing while Meep clings to him, but Horse walks on, not bothered in the least by this terrifying army. Perhaps their mount is right to be unafraid though because as they get closer they discover the guardians aren't in any state to harm them. Many are lying on their side, as if some great explosion pushed them over. A bomb certainly could perhaps done that and left little traces of damage. Link knows that because as soon as he realises there's no actual danger, he jumps down from Horse to inspect one of the guardians and he does try to bomb one. The thing doesn't even bulge. 

"**The guardians are dead?** " Meep asks, holding Horse's reins tight in case it gets spooked by Link's experiments. " **What can kill a guardian?**" 

"**Maybe bigger bombs**," Link suggests, wishing the slate would let him use more than one of each type so he could test how big of a blast he needs to tear apart one of the machines. It would be a fun thing to do. A little bit of playful revenge for the dead boy. 

"**It rains a lot** ," Meep points out. " **We find a dry place, you play later?**" 

It would be a wise idea, but now that he has started, Link wants nothing but to find a dent in the guardians, a way to defeat them should they encounter active ones. 

Meep sighs. "**There are trees ** ** _and _ ** **dead guardians there** ," she says, pointing at a small grove not far. " **We go there. You play, I'm dry**." 

Link wants to protest, but one look at Meep with her drenched cloak sticking to her ears, and Horse shiny from being so wet, convinces him to make this concession. 

They spend the rest of the day near that grove. Meep takes care of Horse while Link tries to destroy at least one guardian. His bombs don't do much because they're too weak, but he does manage to blast off one leg after a while (he also blew off half of his body before blinking and being whole again, but _ that _never happened of course). 

The legs seem to be their main weakness because he can hack off a second one with his sword, though afterwards the blade is blunt and bent, rendering it useless. Blunt force should be an option too since that's how he defeated the smaller ones on the plateau's shrines, but despite being made of metal the guardians aren't affected by the slate's Magnesis, so he can't test that out. 

Taking a break from his work, Link picks up one worm from the wet ground and pops it in his mouth. It tastes of slimy dirt. Not the worst thing he's tasted, so it goes on his list of acceptable emergency food. It's not nearly enough to count as a proper snack though, so Link turns toward Meep to suggest they eat something. 

He finds her in deep conversation with two other bokoblins, two armed reds that do not look aggressive. Meep is saying something, making big hand gestures, and the other two are sitting next to her, listening attentively. Link dares not come close for fear of ruining the moment, but when Meep finishes her story she notices him and waves for him to join them. 

"**They hide from the rain** ," she explains. " **Soon there is sky fire. You stay too. There are no enemies when the sky fire comes. Everyone must hide.**" 

"**What's sky fire?**" Link asks, paying more attention than usual to his pronunciation so the two reds know he's not just any hylian, but an educated one who can understand monster speech. 

"**Soon you see. It is dangerous**." 

"**It has never seen sky fire?**" one of the reds asks. 

"**His head is broken** ," Meep explains. " **He doesn't remember many things. He remembers ** ** _fighting_ ** ," she adds as warning. " **Good fighter. Together we are strong, we have killed lizalfos and moblins and a...**" 

The last word Link doesn't recognise, but judging by the impressed gasps of the two reds, it must be the name of a particularly fearsome creature. He'll have to ask Meep what it is later, but for now he tries to match her air of bravado. 

But something changes in the air, a heaviness that makes the humidity almost unbearable. Somewhere not far there is a noise like a hundred drums that rumbles through the air. 

"**Sit** ," Meep orders. " **Come close, sit. Sky fire is here. It's bad to be tall if you have metal**." 

Link obeys, glancing at Horse to find it has been solidly tied to a branch and looks very nervous about this change of atmosphere. 

A few more times that same loud noise strikes, nearer and nearer until at last Link sees what causes it: a flash of searing light coming down from the sky, hitting one of the dead guardians and burning the grass around it. 

"Lightning," he whispers, in awe of that raw power. "Like Urbosa..." 

A smile, cocky one moment and tender the next. Hair the red of a sunset. Power and fearlessness. Kindness and warmth and so much like being back with his mother, yet so different too. _ Urbosa _. The dead boy used to be afraid of lightning before he met her and associated it to her comforting presence. 

Much as he dislikes allowing the dead boy's sentimentality to take over, Link tolerates it for the duration of the thunderstorm. It's nice to have something so destructive give him comfort. Between the loud thunder and the heavy rain, none of them tries to speak, so Link is free to try and remember that woman he once admired greatly. He gets little more than her name that day, but a name is already so much. 

When the last rumble of thunder fades away far from them, the two red bokoblins scamper away, scared perhaps by Meep's earlier boasts. It's getting dark enough that Link doesn't feel like continuing his experiments on the guardians. Instead he helps Meep dig a pit so they can start a fire. It's a struggle with how wet everything is, but they manage to get a small flame that Link protects with his shield until it burns strong enough to resist the rain. The warmth of the fire makes Link realise how cold he's become, but there's still something pleasant about the situation. The sound of the rain is pleasant, they have cold meat and fresh apples for dinner, and they laugh together at how much Meep scared the two bokoblins with her tall tales.

It takes them the better part of the following day to get across the field of guardians, and it is raining for most of that. When finally it stops, Link sees a Stable in the distance and they head for that. As always it takes a little explaining and cajoling to have people accept Meep, but Link thinks he's getting better at that because the stable employees hardly put up a fight about it. They just avoid getting near her, except for the two little boys tasked with feeding Horse who seem very happy to find a conscientious horse owner in Meep and help her brush the poor beast's muddy fur. 

With his best friend and his worst enemy busy, Link is free to look around the stable. There's a few more people than at the Highland stable, mostly because this one is on the way to Hateno. Link chats with a few people, asking one stable employee for directions to Kakariko. This gets him a warning : the sheikahs there do very well for themselves, but they don't like strangers, so he's advised to be careful in whatever business he has with them. 

With that out of the way, Link checks around the stable. There's not much to see unless he wants to walk back toward fort Hateno, which he doesn't, but it's a pretty enough place.

And there's a shrine right next to it. 

Having a shrine at Highland stable could have been a random fluke. Finding one at Lurelin too was a convenient coincidence. By the time he discovered the one in Hateno it started to feel a little odd. And now another one, right next to a settlement... Sure the shrines are useful to him because he has the slate and can use them to travel, but why did people build near them? Without the slate they're useless, they can't be used for shelter, they never look like they're used for worship... So why want to be near them? 

Still, Link activates that one, as he did with the others. It takes a bit of climbing and gliding, but he feels rather triumphant when he lands on that stupid platform... Until he realises that he's now surrounded by thorns and with no easy way to escape. When he returns to the stable covered in scratches, Meep mocks him even as she helps him clean the wounds. 

The sun is bright and warm when they leave the stable, headed north to Kakariko. The longer they go, the less confident Link feels about their destination. It feels wrong to do what Rhoam asked of him and meet Impa... But at least he's going there for reasons of his own, not to accept some stupid quest for an impossible fight. All he wants is access to the library is Hateno Laboratory, and if he's careful and keeps the slate well hidden in its pouch, they'll never even know who he is. Still the dead boy is screaming with a rage and fear he didn't feel near the guardians that _ killed _him, and it worries Link. 

At least the way there is uneventful. They meet no bokoblins as they head for the mountains, not a single creature on the decrepit bridge they have to cross, though they do hear the dead as they camp near it that night. But the first living thing they encounter on the mountain road is a tree. 

A least, Link mistook it for a tree at first, until Horse walked a little too close to it and it grumbled. 

"**Did you hear that?** " he asks Meep, pulling on Horse's reins. " **The tree said something**." 

"**What tree?**" 

Link stares at her, expecting a joke... But no, she genuinely doesn't see a large, talking, _ walking _tree by the side of the road. Sounds like magic then, which Link knows he should avoid because nothing he's the only one to see has ever been good so far... But curiosity is too strong, so he hops down from the horse. 

"Hello friend!" he greets the tree. 

Whatever reaction Link expected, startling that poor creature so bad that it almost fell on its back wasn't it. 

"Shakala?! You! You can _ see _me?" it asks in a shrill voice. 

"No, I can't," Link retorts with a grin.

"SHOLOKO?! Then how are you talking to me, silly boy?" the walking tree laughs. "Shala-zah! Shala-kah! It's been a hundred years since anyone has been able to see me!"

"Well, I guess today is your lucky day then." 

The tree nods happily, shaking its arms a few times before looking up at his hands sadly. 

"Yes, yes... I'm Hestu, and I need your help! These monsters over there stole my beloved maracas!" Hestu laments. "I think they're still on the other side of those rocks," he adds, pointing somewhere a good deal higher on the mountain. "I can't use my powers without them. Shoko... So please! PLEASE get my maracas back from them!" 

Link knows he shouldn't get involved in the problems of any magical creature. Meep being able to see and hear someone should determine whether Link will help them. But Hestu, who laughed so easily just moments ago, looks absolutely heartbroken now that he's remembered his loss and Link can't bear it. 

"Just wait here," he orders, jumping back on Horse. "I'll get them back!" 

"**We're not going to the village?** " Meep asks in a long suffering tone. " **We help the tree that ** ** _isn't there_ ** **?**"

Link doesn't dignify that with an answer. The thieves’ hiding spot isn't very far, though Link notices that just meters away, the road starts disappearing between two high cliffs. Maybe Kakariko isn't much further. He can grab the maracas, drop in Kakariko for a quick chat with that blasted elder, then run off and give Hestu his maracas. It's barely noon, if he plays it well he can be done before the end of the day. 

"**We go there** ," he tells Meep, pointing at the opening in the rocks that Hestu had indicated. " **I need to get something back. It makes music**." 

"**Many things make music. Your ** ** _head _ ** **makes music if I hit it hard enough**." 

Link sticks out his tongue at Meep, and she replies with the same gesture before taking out her bow. As quietly as they can, they go through the opening, weapons in hand. 

Link was ready to find some fearsome monsters hiding there and while there are three blue bokoblins, they don't look very scary. Two of them are sitting on the ground while the third one is trying to shake a pair of red maracas above its head, clearly upset they're not making any sounds. 

"**They're broken** ," a sitting bokoblin complain. " **Throw them away.**" 

"**I found them I keep them** ," the standing one replies with a menacing growl. " **They smell of magic. I want magic music!**" 

Well it is never getting that, because one of Meep's arrows hit him in the eye, making it drop the instruments. Before the other two can react Link is on them, killing them without leaving them a chance to defend themselves. He lets Meep finish off the one she shot and picks up the maracas. They don't make a sound when shaken, which is a little odd... But if they really are magic perhaps only Hestu can get music out of them?

Link feels tempted to go back to the moving tree right now, but decides against it. He wants to be done with Kakariko as soon as possible and then never have to return there. 

With the maracas stored inside the slate for now, they mount Horse again and resume their travel. Before long they pass a series of high gates bearing the same eye symbol that's engraved on the back of the sheikah slate, and soon after the cliffs widen into a vast valley were a village is sprawled. 

It's a quaint little place, a little smaller than Hateno and far less densely populated. The houses look old but well maintained, surrounded by vegetable garden neatly cared for where a few cuccos roamed freely. A pretty place, the perfect picture of a humble village. Still the voice of the dead boy screamed for caution in the back of Link's, so he carefully checks that the slate is still hidden in its little pouch and readjusts his hood to hide his face before jumping down from Horse. 

"**Hide and stay quiet** ," he tells Meep. " **Until I can explain.**" 

"**You protect me,**" Meeps says quietly, a mocking edge to her voice as she guesses exactly what he was about to say. Link sticks his tongue out at her, but in spite of the dead boy's terror, they are both fairly relaxed. They've done this enough times now to know how to handle it. 

A few meters into the village, Link spots an old lady sitting on the ground under a tree, moaning in pain. Pulling Horse by the reins, Link walks to meet her. 

"Hello ma'am. Are you ok?" 

The old woman startles at his voice and tries to peek under his hood, but Link moves his head so most of his face remains hidden. 

"Traveler! I'm sorry but I seem to have twisted my ankle..." she says in a trembling voice that makes her sound touchingly fragile. "Hmm, let's see here..." 

She tries to get up but can't quite manage until Link offers his arm to help her. Her grip is stronger than he might have expected from a sweet little granny, but he dismisses the thought. If she's worked all her life, of course she's strong. 

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that," she sighs, before glancing toward Horse and Meep who, as instructed, is perfectly still on their mount, hidden under her cloak yet so obviously not shaped like a hylian. "Say, traveler... That's an odd companion you have here, isn't it?" 

"Ah, yes, you see..." Link starts, but the old woman shoves him away, no longer so frail, and runs to Horse's side to pull on Meep's cloak with a speed Link wouldn't expect even from someone younger.

"_Bokoblin_!" the old woman shouts. "_Bokoblin in the village!_"

“It's not like that!" Link protests, just as five puffs of red smoke explode around them, each revealing a white haired warrior holding a spear. "Don't, she's my friend! Just let me explain!" 

But the sheikahs won't listen. One man raises his weapon and before Link can stop him, he throws it. The spear hit Meep in the chest, making her wail in anguish. She manages to stay on Horse though, clinging to its mane and staring at Link with wide frightened eyes. For a second Link is too shocked to do anything.

A second is all it takes for another spear to hit his friend, her shoulder, and this time she would have toppled over if Link hadn't run to her side to prevent it. Black blood is dripping on Link's hands, staining Horse's fur. 

The first spear stays inside but the second falls down and Meep is bleeding profusely. Link can hear the sheikahs shouting threats and asking for reinforcement but he ignores them and jumps on Horse. Since the way back is blocked by two of the sheikahs and there's little time to turn around, he spurs Horse on to push their way between the others, one arm tight around Meep's chest so she can't fall.

Horse, brave little thing, takes them away in a mad gallop through village, slaloming between sheikahs, to a narrow path on the side of the village, down a steep hill, only stopping among some bushes when it is too exhausted to go on, its whole body shaking so hard it might collapse. Link quickly gets down, careful to keep Meep up there until he can safely take her in his arms.

With his feet on the grass, Link notices how Horse's sides are black with blood, some of which is already drying. He realises also that during their escape, the spear in Meep's chest fell.

He can't miss either that she's not moving as he gets his arms around her. But that means nothing. She's just _ passed out _ , Link tells himself as he gently lowers her to the ground. It must be so painful that she _ fainted _, and that's for the best because he can clean her wound without hurting her more. The deep cuts in her flesh have stopped bleeding but bokoblins are strong, maybe the blood has already started coagulating. Her skin is colder than normal and keeps losing warmth, but that's just the effect of blood loss. Meep is fine.

Meep is _ fine _.

She's not breathing but she's fine.

Her heart isn't beating but she's fine.

Her body, slowly, turns hard as stone, but she's fine.

Meep has to be fine.

It's only when Horse, recovered from his mad race, nuzzles at her, worried about its favourite owner, that Link forces himself to accept the truth.

Meep is dead.


	11. Sahasra Slopes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (updating a bit early because hey, I know that previous chapter was a bit rough!)  
warning for violence

Night fell a while ago but Link hasn't moved, still holding Meep in his arms. He's waiting for a miracle of some sort, for her to start breathing again and laugh at him for not seeing through her prank. But that doesn't happen. She remains stiff against his chest. 

She's dead and it's his fault. 

If he hadn't insisted on going to Kakariko. If he had paid more attention to the warnings at the stable, to the rage of the dead boy. If he had been a little more careful, a little less intrepid, if he hadn't fallen for the sheikah woman's display of weakness, if he had been quicker to understand the danger. 

If he had been better, Meep wouldn't be dead.

Like the Champions. 

Like Zelda. 

Link's pain echoes that of the dead boy, the same anguish and despair felt the same way. For a moment they are only one person, him and that ghost who used to inhabit his body, having both lost what little made life bearable through their own weakness. 

But just as the dead boy had to keep fighting through heartache, Link is given no time to mourn. It is dark all around and he never lit a fire. The dead are coming, announced by the sound of claws digging up, growls that do not form words. 

Letting go of Meep's corpse, Link unsheathes his sword, listening for the creatures that he can barely see in the bleak moonlight. 

Three skeletal bokoblins and a moblin surround Link. Only the moblin has a club, though one of the bokoblin has a bow. The other two, unarmed, launch themselves at Link with nothing but claws and teeth as weapons. One of the two bokoblins tries to attack Horse and bites into its leg, hard enough the poor beast’s kicks aren’t enough to make it let go. Link hurries to his mount’s side and swiftly decapitate the dead monster before hitting the skull with his sword’s handle to finally free Horse from its bite. Meep would _ never _forgive him if Horse died, and he can’t deal with more guilt. 

But even without its head the bokoblin keeps fighting, no matter how much Link hacks at its body. It only stops when Horse gets spooked and stomps on its head. Link doesn't have time to enjoy that victory. An arrow hits his shoulder and the moblin nearly clubs his face, while the second weaponless bokoblin is gathering rocks to throw at him. 

Link hesitates to jump on Horse to run away, but that thought is immediately discarded. He cannot make himself _abandon_ Meep, not when he already failed her once. He takes on the moblin which seems the most dangerous, hacks at one leg until it breaks and makes it lose balance. The moblin falls on the ground and Link quickly stabs the head, moving his blade around until the skull breaks. 

Distracted by this grim task, he only narrowly avoids another arrow. The archer is furthest away, so he attacks the other remaining bokoblin first, using the moblin's club to destroy its chest, then its head. The archer tries to keep its distance so Link jumps on Horse's back and runs it over before bashing its head with the club until nothing remains but dust and fragments. 

With that taken care of, Link returns to Meeps body and quickly lights a small fire in case more dead are coming. He cannot fight again, not in his state. But he does find the strength to check the bite on Horse’s leg, and gives it a carrot and some apples for its help. He should take care also of the arrow still embedded in his own shoulder, but just looking at it is so painful he prefers to ignore it.

Instead he sits down to wait for morning. 

When at last the light returns, Link wants nothing more than to collapse and sleep. Instead he forces himself to stand on shaky legs and looks around. They are still too close to Kakariko to be safe, and he can spot a group of bokoblins not far. Live ones this time, at least one of which is mounted on a horse. He cannot rest there, but perhaps down the slope he'll find a place to sleep and remove the arrow. 

Finding a way to carry Meep is tricky. With his wounded shoulder Link doesn't have the strength to haul her on Horse's back, and he's not sure she'd stay up there easily with her body so rigid. So instead he quickly improvises a litter on which to put her body and attaches it to Horse's saddle using the reins of its bridle. It's a very inefficient thing, but it's better than nothing. 

It's slow progress down the mountain, especially without a proper path to follow, but they're lucky and nothing attacks them. Still Link dares not stop until they have nearly reached the plains again and he finds some big rocks to shield him from view. After detaching the litter from Horse, Link collapses on the ground and passes out for some hours. He wakes almost as tired as he was before, the pain on his shoulder relentless. There are precautions to take when removing an arrow, but Link is too exhausted to remember them so he just pulls hard until the head comes out, snarling in pain when it does and pressing the hem of his cloak on the wound to try and stop himself from bleeding out. 

With that out of the way, Link forces himself to eat a little and drink some water before reattaching the litter and continuing his way down. This was an acceptable place to rest, but not one where he can leave Meep.

Night comes. Link lights a fire but doesn't sleep. When morning returns, he resumes his way down, until finally he's off the mountain. There is a vast marsh where horses run free and ducks are swimming, and a large tree near which some flowers are growing. It's a beautiful place that Meep would have loved. 

It's a good place to put her to rest. 

Under the tree, Link gets to work. Digging is a lot harder than expected, especially since he doesn't have the tools for it. He can get some work done by stabbing his sword in the ground and using it as a hoe to open the soil. It did the job for the top layer of grass and dirt, but soon he hits rocks and roots. Link goes through all three swords he'd found in his travels as he tries to cut through roots and dig deep enough to even just cover the body entirely. When the blades are all dulled and bent beyond use, Link tries using his hands for a short moment, not caring about the pain from rubbing dirt on his blisters. 

At sunset, the grave is still a shallow mess. Link takes a break to light a small fire before going back to work. His right hand brush against the pouch where he keeps the sheikah slate, and he freezes. If he had shown that blasted thing, would Meep still be alive? After all he saw the interest those sheikahs in Hateno showed for the slate, how they immediately tried to direct him to Kakariko after seeing it. 

Link takes out the slate from its pouch and starts ragefully using it as a digging tool. It is barely more efficient than using his hands but he gets satisfaction from debasing that precious relic. Part of him hopes that it will break, but the slate is more solid than it looks.

Busy as he is, he doesn't notice the odd tint to the sky until Horse becomes agitated and neighs at nothing. 

The sky, black and red. The blood moon. Link jumps out of the shallow grave that cost him so much effort and throws himself over Meep's body. He'd forgotten about the blood moon and what it did to fallen monsters. 

"Take her and I'll _ destroy _ you," Link screams, holding Meep tight against his chest. "You hear me? If you turn her into a stalfos I will come to your fucking castle and I will _ kill _you even if its the last thing I do!"

"Then I suppose she shan't be punished," a voice says, coming from the side.

There's a man there, tall and large, seemingly made of the same gloomy ashes that rise from the ground at the blood moon continues. His eyes, a piercing gold, are on Link.

"She served me well, and so will you."

The man raises his hand. Blackened flames surround Meep's body until Link can feel another heartbeat against his. Her eyes open as she draws a breath while Link's vision blurs with tears.

"Be more careful with our servant," the man warns, "or if she must die again, make it worth my time. You’ve been fooling around long enough, we won't be able to hold it much longer if you do not weaken _ her _."

"Weaken who?"

"That's not how that game is played, little boy. You know it as well as I do." 

Before Link can protest that he doesn't know anything, the last embers of the blood moon disappear, taking the man with them. Link stares at that now empty spot for a moment, trying to make sense of what happened. 

"**You look bad** ," Meep says without making any move to escape his tight embrace. " **You look more dead than me**." 

Link startles at the sound of her voice and looks down at her. Meep is smiling, oddly relaxed for someone who has just been brought back to life. As if guessing his thought, she sniggers. 

"**Not my first death** ," she explains, finally pushing against Link's grip to sit up. " **We all died a lot at first. We wanted to leave the plateau** ." Her proud smirk disappears, and she brings one hand to the wound on Link's shoulder. " **They hurt you too?**" 

Still Link doesn't answer, but Meep doesn't mind. She just stands up and look for the slate, making a concerned noise when it's not inside the pouch at Link's waist, grunting when she finds it in a big muddy hole instead. 

"**Precious stone** ," she scolds gently, turning the slate on and pressing on the screen until she reaches the inventory and takes out some herbs she had insisted Link store there. " **I heal you, then we sleep. You eat today? You need food.**" 

Not even waiting for his answers anymore, Meep continues chatting while chewing on the herbs until she gets a slimy paste she applies first on his shoulder, then on his hands when she notices the blood under the dirt. Link barely hisses in reaction, every sensation dulled off. 

"**Now we eat**," Meep insists, pulling some apples from the slate and presenting one to Link's mouth, keeping it there until he finally bites down. She makes him eat the whole thing, but doesn't insists when he refuses the second one. Instead she pushes on his shoulders, mindful of the wounded one, until he lays down on the grass. 

"**You sleep now** ," she orders, rearranging his cloak around him so he won't get cold and taking his hand. " **You sleep. I am not leaving again**." 

Holding her hand like a scared child, Link closes his eyes and passes out quickly, too numb to do anything else. 

Link is holding Meep in his arms when he wakes up, clutching her like a lost kitten. She is warm against his chest and snores slightly with each exhalation. She is alive and if he doesn't think about the previous night, doesn't look behind at the shallow grave he dug, Link can easily pretend she never was anything but alive. She never died, just like he never did. It's just a bad dream. 

Repeating this thought like a mantra, Link carefully lets go of his friends to sit up. It is a beautiful day and they can go wherever they want. Perhaps north? That big fire mountain looks a little scary but it could be an exciting place to explore. But first they'll have to check the marshes. There must be so many frogs and fish and slimy critters to taste in there, it'll be great fun.

For now, he digs through the remains of their fire until he finds some embers to revive, and uses that to bake apples. The sweet smell doesn't fail to wake Meep who sits with him as they wait for breakfast. She insists on checking his wounds but they are healing fine. Meep still scolds him for risking infection, though it is mostly for show. 

They spend the morning in the nearby marsh, running after frogs. At noon Link realises he'd rather avoid spending another night under that tree if he can, so they start travelling again. North seems a good destination, mostly because it's their only real option. 

The following days are quiet and slow. They spend most of their days fooling around, catching things to eat or finding things to blow up. It feels like the good moments on the Great Plateau, except they found themselves a bigger prison to play in. If he tries hard, Link can almost convince himself he doesn’t mind that anymore.

His desperate attempts at good humour collapse when after a few days, they spot a Stable in the distance and Meep suggests they should go there. They could do with some more arrows, they could sell some of their meat, and if they’re very lucky, they’ll be able to properly wash Link’s blood stained clothes. It’s a very reasonable idea, and yet Link feels like his lungs stopped working.

Meep near hylians. Meep with two spears inside her chest. Meep cold and unmoving. Stalfos and fighting and that man who might not bring her back again if Link doesn't play a twisted game he wasn't told anything about.

"**You stay here with Horse** ," Link suggests with a smile that's just a little too wide. " **I get the arrows and food. I come back. We continue travelling and having fun. Yes?**"

Meep tilts her head in concern. 

"**I can come. Horse house is safe. Nobody attacks us in the horse house before. It's okay.**" 

Black blood on Horse's white and brown fur. Black blood on his hands. 

"**It's better if you stay**," Link insists, the smile hurting his cheeks. 

"**I am not afraid.**" 

But that's the problem, Link wants to scream. She's not afraid when she's with him, just as he feels he can take on anything if she's behind him with her bow ready to shoot. They are a great team. Or they would be if Link could protect her. But if he's failed once, who's to say he won't fail again? They were lucky this blood moon, but the dark man he saw seemed to say Meep might not get another chance if she dies again. 

He needs to find a way to protect her. 

He knows _ exactly _how to protect her. 

"**This time I go alone** ," he negotiates. " **I see if it is safe. It is safe, I come for you and we have a bed. It is not safe, I buy the things and come back to you. We do this?**" 

"**You take Horse to be faster?**" 

Link hesitates and looks at their mount. He's gained a new respect for that stupid little beast after Kakariko, but he'd rather not spend time alone with it again. 

"**Bad horse** ," he teases. " **I go faster on foot.**" 

"**Best horse!** " Meep retorts, relaxing a little at familiar banter. " **I keep it. You are a bad hylian, you can't have my horse!**" 

It’s a good half day to the stable, even with Link walking fast. Time passes more slowly now that he’s alone, without Meep to chat with or Horse at his side, but he ignores it, reminding himself it’s the only safe thing to do. To keep his mind from going to dark places, he makes a list of the things that will be needed. Arrows of course, as many as he can get. Food perhaps? Meat is never a problem when you can hunt, but it’d be nice to have vegetables too. He could kill for some carrots, but they’re hard to find in the wild. Pumpkins too. They look a little hard to prepare with their thick skin, but they are sweet and so delicious.

Getting closer and closer to the Stable, Link has the bad surprise of seeing a shrine near it. Should it still be a surprise though? They really are near every hylian settlement he’s encountered. Link can’t help but wonder if other species too have built their homes around those blasted shrines.

He doesn’t wonder on that for long though, distracted by a melody coming from the Stable.

The music is familiar and Link doesn't need to look around for very long before he finds Kass. Just like the first time, the sight of that birdman wakes an old longing in him. He knew a rito. Or rather, the dead boy did. Shorter than Kass, darker. Eyes green like jade and grass and those pears he loved as a child. A voice, mocking and hateful and tender and comforting and... 

Revali. 

Revali, his friend, his love, his _ regret _. Just thinking that name brings a surge of emotion from the dead boy, something at least as desperate as what happened in Hateno. It takes great effort for Link to bury those unwanted feelings but he manages, though some tears still spill from his eyes. He has enough on his plate with his own problems, he doesn't want to deal with the dead boy's on top. 

Careful not to catch Kass's eye, Link goes inside the stable to chat with the people there. He barely pays attention to what they actually says, just notes that none of them seem to be particularly aggressive. It's a nice, decent place and he wouldn't have minded to spend the night there. 

But of course, that's not the plan. 

Having ensured that this stable holds no danger for any monster staying nearby and after activating the shrine near it, Link returns to the road with a heavy heart. After one last look at the stable and the wood behind it, Link takes to the road and heads north. 

It won't be easy to be without Meep, but it's the only way he can _ protect _her. He’ll just come back for her when he finds a safe way to leave Hyrule.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, uh. First of all, thanks for all the comments on last chapter, I am really touched that you all like Meep! I promise she's not gone for good!  
if it helps, in the next chapter Link meets another important red friend, yay? :D  
And I realise I never said so here, so... I have a tumblr, on which I post a lot of doodles about this fic: https://ibijau.tumblr.com/tagged/Meep-link (sometimes there's spoilers for the fic but it's usually pretty light!)  
Also, this is basically the end of the first phase of the fic! Now... The part two begins!


	12. Zora River

There is a fork in the road, and Link doesn't know which way to go. The left branch goes further north to a place called Akkala. There are no other indications, and the dead boy provides no memories of it. The right branch disappears into the nearby hills and toward a place called zora's domain. This he _ does _ know something about, because Sebasto had told him a little about fierce giant fish warriors. They sound somewhat dangerous, but everything in Hyrule is dangerous anyway. And with them being _ fish _, they're sure to be a little less afraid of the sea than hylians, right? Still Link hesitate. It looks like it's raining a lot that way. Heavy rains means no fire at night because he's not the one who knows how to light one in any weather. 

"Hey it's kinda weird to see a hylian around here," someone says behind him. 

Distracted by the choice he needs to make, Link failed to notice the approach of a woman who carries a heavy pack. 

"If it's so weird, what are you doing here?" Link asks. 

"Me? I'm a peddler, so I'm free to go where the wind takes me. Or the waves. Or whatever. Yeaaaah. Oh let me introduce myself. I'm Douma. Nice to meetcha!" 

Link nods. "Link, and same. So, you know this area? I'm wondering where to go but..." 

"Oh, go to Akkala!" Douma quickly advise, with a glare toward Zora's domain. "The zora along zora river have been telling hylians to go see prince Sidon. The prince is waiting over at inogo bridge - waiting to greet any hylians that show up... Yeah I met that so-called prince Sidon. Thing is... He ain't no good. First thing he says to me, he says... "_ I've been watching you! _ " and then he says, " _ what's your name?! _" can you believe that heat? I don't need it! So I ran away from him and all that noise. Now here I am."

She looks so offended that Link can't help but grin. It sounds innocent enough, although he wouldn't like it either if a giant salmon tried to hit on him. 

"So yeah... " Douma sighs." If you want to see a freak show, go visit that prince Sidon. Though I doubt he'll go for you since you're not a looker like me."

She winks, and Link laughs for the first time since leaving Meep behind. Her warning delivered, Douma heads north toward Akkala and Link hesitates to follow her. In the end, he decides for Zora's Domain instead because while Douma's words of caution ring to his mind, they also gave him an important information: those giant fish can speak hylian. That means they'll be able to answer his questions about the sea and what might lay beyond it. 

Still, mindful of Douma's warning, he decides to avoid the main road and that bridge where a princely fish apparently flirts with hylians. Instead, he runs to the river and glides over it, just barely getting a grip on the wet rocks on the other side. A long trek awaits, but hopefully the rain will stop soon. 

The rain doesn't stop. At all. Not even for a second. Perhaps it makes sense for fish people to live in such a wet place, but Link tires of it pretty fast. His cloak is wet. His shirt is wet. His feet are wet. His damn _ underwear _are wet. 

A few times he tries to climb the rocky sides of the hills to look for a shortcut to... wherever he is even going. That's a bad idea because everything is slick with water and he just falls in the mud each time. So now he's wet and muddy and _ sore _. Link is starting to regret not going to Akkala, but it's too late now, he's committed. 

While climbing around, he stumbles upon a small meadow that would look idyllic if not for a foul smelling giant snoring loudly in the middle of it. Link would ignore the creature, but thanks to the heavy rains there are mushrooms growing everywhere, some he's never seen before. He has to taste them. If they're good, he can bring some to Meep when he's finally reunited with her. She'll be a little less angry if he brings food. 

Busy with his gathering, Link takes a little too long to notice when the snoring stops. What gives away the change is a terrified fox running right past him. When Link turns around, a giant one eyed monster is looking down at him with a smirk. 

"**Hello, friend**," Link greets it hesitantly. 

"**I eat you!**" the giant roars, moving one hand to try and grab Link who narrowly dodges. 

_ Not a friend _, he notes. Also not an enemy he can take on when his only weapon is the club he took from the stalfos after Kakariko. Link does the only thing he can and runs for his life without looking behind, though he still sees an entire damn tree launched at him. Not a friend at all. 

It should be a good lesson to Link. It might have worked with Meep, but not every weird biped he encounters can become a new friend for life. Meep was the exception. Between the lizalfos and this giant, he should have learned that.

Yet when the following day he stumbles upon a small camp above which a cloaked being hovers, dancing and laughing to itself, Link’s reaction is immediately the same.

"**Hello, friend?**" 

The childlike laughter stops as the creature inspects him with curiosity before smiling, revealing dagger like teeth. It doesn't say anything and just laughs again in the same tone as before, though it doesn’t sound innocent anymore. It raises its wand and waves it at Link who is hit by a surge of electricity that burns him and stops his heart. When he blinks back to life, Link runs past the laughing creature and doesn't stop until he can't hear it anymore. _ Not a friend. _

But at least at the next turn of the road, Link discovers he has arrived somewhere at last. Down from where he is he can see something that looks like a huge, luminous city. 

He can also see, right next to the city, a large lake with red flashing lights. Perhaps that is the place where the fish people live, with a hylian settlement next to it? Certainly, the red lights seem more interesting to investigate so Link glides down toward that lake. As he gets closer, he realises the lights are part of a gigantic machine that’s partly submerged. There’s something familiar about it, though if Link ever saw it before its light glowed a different colour. 

Dropping a moment on a hill, Link allows himself a short break until his arms no longer feel like they’re about to be torn away, then jumps down toward the machine. It’s near enough he should easily be able to glide to it and climb on it for inspection.

_ Should _ being the key word. Right as Link starts bending his legs for a smooth landing, the machine projects a light screen not unlike those Link has seen in shrines, launching him away into the water with a terrible mechanical sound like the cry of a wounded animal. Shaken by the incident, Link barely manages to swim to safety. Not a fish people home and, once again, definitely _ not _a friend.

Not one to be defeated easily, and desperate not to spend another night trying to keep a fire going under the rain, Link decides to try his chance with the luminous city. It is easily the biggest settlement he has seen so far and he’s high above it, giving him plenty of choice as to where he might try to land. He decides to aim for what catches his attention the most, a tall building shaped like a fish. If he’s lucky it could be a restaurant or a covered market or just anything food related. Darkness is slowly falling, Link just wants to be dry and eat something.

Link lands on the water path around the fish sculpture and peeks inside. There is no restaurant, no market. Only some tall, weirdly shaped people. The nearest one is a red giant at least twice Link's height with an odd fish-like ornament on the back of his head. Except when Link walks closer to the low wall separating him from these people, he realises it's not a decoration but a part of that giant's body. 

Now, at last, he understands why Sebasto had said the zora were fish people. Not that he has much time to ponder that discovery because suddenly the red giant turns his way and with a growl, launches himself at Link, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and lifting him from the ground. 

"And who might you be?" he snarls, showing teeth as sharp as those of the electrical monster that morning. "The zora king is _ not _ accepting visitors at this time. I shall escort you _ out _."

The giant pauses and narrows his eyes. "Pardon my manners but are you a hylian?" He exclaims, putting Link back down, his snarl turning to a charming smile. "Why didn't you _ say _so in the first place?" 

"Listen, _ friend _, you've got eyes, don't you?" Link retorts, straightening his cloak to keep his face hidden, pulling on his shirt so he doesn't look quite as messy and to hide the death scar on his chest. 

"How dare you speak this way to his majesty prince Sidon!" a more reasonably sized zora shouts behind the giant. He has a funny head, large and flat, that Link feels he might have seen before. 

So the tall red zora is prince Sidon. Douma's words of warning instantly come to mind, the way she half hinted the zora prince was a little too interested in hylians. He hadn't understood how that would work when he thought the zora were literal fish, but having met them, seeing the way this Sidon is smiling at him now that he's been recognised as a hylian... Link wonders if he can use that. He's sure Rhoam would. 

"Please, please, come in!" the prince invites him, silencing the other zora with a simple gesture. "You are right, I should have seen immediately that you were hylian, but I was distracted." he turned then to the other giant, smiling widely. "Isn't it fantastic, father? We might have the answer to our problems at last!" 

Link cautiously follows the tall red zora to the center of the room. There, sitting on an ornate silver throne, sits the largest being Link has ever seen, making even Prince Sidon look tiny. A gentle giant. Link can feel warm, deep affection coming from the dead boy's memories. This is someone the boy knew and _ trusted _. 

This is someone Link must be wary of, lest he be recognised. At least the slate is still hidden, and if he can just keep his hood on, all will be fine. 

"At last, a hylian bravely answered our call," the giant says. "I am king Dorephan, ruler of the zora. You did well to come all the way here." 

"It's... my honour, your majesty?" 

Dorephan smiles, more kindly than a dirty, smelly stranger probably deserves. "Now then, I must inform you that zora's domain is in danger of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?" 

Link startles at the question, as does the flat headed zora to his left who is outraged by the demand. 

"What?! King dorephan! My liege! Please do not speak so! To ask a hylian for help... Why the very thought of it curls my fins !" 

So not everyone is as fond of hylians as prince Sidon appears to be. And they have reasons to be, the dead boy tells him. 

"Muzu I expected more of you," king Dorephan scolds his advisor. "How can you still protest?" 

Prince Sidon nods firmly. "Muzu, how dare you speak so rudely to your king and his guest!" he scolds, smiling briefly at Link who barely contains a grimace. He doesn't want to create trouble. "This hylian has come to us in our most dire hour of need. That our paths have crossed is certainly the work of fate. He is the key to saving zora's domain. I have no doubt in my mind." 

Again the prince smiles at Link who bites his lip, wondering how he'll tell these people that he doesn't _ want _ to help anyone because _ nothing _can save Hyrule anyway. Perhaps it was a mistake to come to this place. 

"Indeed," Dormephan says, looking at his son, then at Muzu. "As things now stand, zora's domain... Nay, perhaps all of Hyrule... is doomed to be swallowed by the sea. This is bigger than all of us, my friend. Zora and hylians alike must put aside our differences and band together." 

"Have you forgotten already, my king?!" Muzu exclaims with a disgusted look at Link. "We _ cannot _trust these lowly hylians! A hundred years ago they abused the power of an ancient civilisation and turned Hyrule into what it is today!" 

Oh, Link _ likes _this Muzu. Anyone who is willing to question the actions of Rhoam and the sheikahs has the instant approbation of the dead boy. But no, it's more than that. The boy liked Muzu even before dying.

Stories read in a library. Laughter. Muzu enacting fights as he described them. A girl laughing with Link, bigger than him. Another sister almost. Her smile he remembers, but her name...

"And that is not the least of it," Muzu sighs, shaking his head, eyes half closed. "It is their fault that lady Mipha was lost to us..." 

The name makes Link's heart beat faster. _ Mipha _ ! His friend, dear to him, acting like an older sister when he met her the first time, kind and so patient with a curious child of another species. It was before the sword, when he was still allowed to play, and he had _ loved _playing with her. 

Mipha, his friend, his second sister, who died because he wasn't strong enough to defeat Ganon in time. 

"We cannot dwell on tragedies of old when new dangers threaten us," Dorephan decides, though he no longer smile when he turns again to Link. "Divine beast Vah Ruta has immense power. It has the unique ability to create an endless supply of water. Of late it has been mercilessly spouting water into the air. As a result, this area has been plagued by heavy rains."

"Oh, that's why the weather is so bad here?" 

Dorephan nods. "For us zora, water and air are as one, so you would not think this would be quite so critical of a problem. Sadly the rains have filled the eastern reservoir nearly to the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, as soon it will, i fear immense damage will befall not only zora's domain... but also the area downstream from us. There, hylian lives are in very grave danger."

Wetland stable would be on the water's path. The woods where Meep awaits too. Even when he wants to keep her safe, Link puts her in danger. Perhaps if he returns and tries to convince her to wait somewhere else… but she’ll be furious he left, she might not let him go alone again.

As if sensing the conversation, a terrifying cry comes from the reservoir, similar to the one Link heard earlier when he tried to glide onto the machine. They all turn to look at the reservoir, barely visible through the downpour.

"The divine beast is crying out again," Dorephan sighs, sounding exhausted. 

Haunted by a sudden idea, Link wants to ask how long ago the rains started. They speak of it as something somewhat recent rather than a hundred year long plague. But what could have awoken the Beast after all that time, except something that also brought new life to sheikah towers and sheikah shrines? 

Before he can say a thing though, and for the first time in the many weeks since leaving the Great Plateau, he hears the voice of the Girl. 

_ "That divine beat was taken over by ganon a hundred years ago," _ she explains. _ "You must find a way inside in order to free it from Ganon's malice. I believe in you, Link." _

Not happening, Link decides, glancing around at the zora in case they heard the girl. Meep couldn't but Rhoam could, so why not them too? 

"What is the matter?" King Dorephan asks, and Link immediately freezes. "You seem to be looking about as though in a bother..." 

"It's nothing," he quickly lies. "Just, that loud sound..." 

"The creature behind that roar you just heard... That was the Divine Beast Vah Ruta," the king explains. "The hylian princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, in the time before the great calamity." 

Link can't help a nod. He can nearly see her. A blonde girl who only smiled among books or elbow deep into cogs and grease. Her face escape him, but not her rare smile. 

"According to her research, the orbs located on Ruta's shoulders are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However they require electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them."

That sounds logical. It's like Zelda to have conducted thorough research of that sort. As to what Link will be required to do about that... 

Prince Sidon, who had stayed quiet so far, puts on arm on Link's shoulder and smiles down at him. 

"Seggin, who is quite shock resistant for a zora, hit one with a shock arrow," the prince explains with enthusiasm, "and sure enough it slowed the water a bit!" he pauses and grimaces. "Unfortunately as an aquatic race, we zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to its full force." 

Link makes notes of all that. Even just a temporary break in the rain could help a lot in managing the water level. At worse, it could at least give time to warn hylian populations of the incoming catastrophe. No one at Wetland stable said anything about a flood risk, so they must not know. But no amount of warning can help Zora's Domain which would take a direct hit if the reservoir broke, and... 

Sidon pats Link's shoulder, his smile widening. 

"That is why I went in search of a hylian who could help us!" he exclaims. "I am certain you have already figured this out, but... We need you to use shock arrows to get those orbs working properly again! I will aid you in any way I can, of course. Please... I beg of you. Help me stop Ruta's rampage of destruction!" 

Link stares at the prince's pleading eyes, waiting for his answer. This, he realises, is his chance to explain that there's been a mistake and he never came here to help. He just wants to get out of the mess that is Hyrule and let other people handle their own problems.

But Meep is down in the plains because of him. And unlike the girl’s voice, the zora aren't asking him to free the Divine Beast, just to stop it for the time being. He's not the best archer around, never practiced much because Meep was there to handle that, but he's still pretty decent with a bow. The zora will be grateful if he helps, won't they? He knows from the dead boy's memory that they have a library, and perhaps he can ask around if any of them know much about traveling.

"I want you to understand I'm not who you think I am", Link states. "I'm not a warrior, I'm a researcher. But I am willing to do my best!" he quickly adds when Sidon's smile falls. "As lord Muzu said, what is happening would not be there if hylians hadn't taken on more than they can chew. It's only fair one of us should undo the damage we caused, and if it must be me I'll be honoured."

He pauses, checks on his audience. Prince Sidon looks like he could cry from joy and pride, while Muzu is a little less angry now that _ someone _agrees with him. Dorephan, however, is frowning and seems doubtful. Two out of three isn't so bad though. 

"If I may be so bold, I hope in return you'll let me conduct my research here after?" Link asks, and some of Dorephan's frown relaxes. As he thought, the king is clever enough to guess it was too good to be true to have a self sacrificing hylian just stumble inside the throne room. "I will do my best to help regardless of your answer, but it would mean the world to me." 

Link smiles, angling his head so that's visible even with the hood. 

"Thank you, truly," the king says. "But I realise we have failed to ask even for your name? And, perhaps, our new friend will let us see his face?" 

Shit. Link's smile freezes into a grimace. He should have seen that coming. Of course they'd want to see him, only the shock of his unconventional entry allowed him to go unmasked this long. 

With shaky hands, Link pulls back his hood, ready for gasps and exclamations from Dorephan and Muzu. 

None come. And why not? Link can't remember his last bath, but it was long before losing Meep's accident in Kakariko. He's covered in mud and grime and too many different bloods, his hair is almost matted from the lack of care because he doesn't even own a brush. They're seeing a disgusting, rupeeless hylian traveler, not the sparkling heroic young knight they would remember. 

"Oh but you are young!" Sidon exclaims. "Are you even of age, my friend?"

Again Douma's half hinted warning comes to mind. It wasn't a warrior the zora wanted for their prince when she spoke of Sidon. And the speed with which his expression changed on he realised he was faced with a hylian. It was worth a test, at least. 

Link smiles, trying to look as warm and welcoming as the stable people, one hand on his waist to accentuate the skin barred by his too small shirt which he knows bothers some hylians, so why not a zora? 

"Your majesty, I am of age to do _ anything _I please," he promises. Sidon blinks a few times and his eyes narrow slightly as colours shift on his cheeks. A good sign, Link decides. 

"I am... Most glad to hear that," the prince replies with a hesitant smile. "And what is your name then?" 

"Li..." Link starts, before realising his mistake and desperately finishing with "...n". 

"Your name is _ Lin _?" Dorephan insists, looking rightfully suspicious. 

"Since the day I was born, your majesty." 

Link smiles as honestly as he can, but that has little effect on the king. Well, Dorephan is a smart man, of course he can see Link for what he truly is : a desperate idiot who would say anything to get what he wants. It doesn't matter because it just helps conceal the hero he should be. Still he'll have to avoid Dorephan while he's in Zora's Domain. Should be easy enough. Kings don't hang out with unkempt, dubious scholars. 

Princes might though. 

"Well, Lin, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Sidon exclaims, patting his shoulder again. "With my father's permission, how about I take you to the inn so you might rest and... _clean up_ a bit, as you must _long_ to do? And on the way you can tell me about your research. I am sure it is fascinating!" 

Dorephan, though still suspicious, allows his son to do as he wishes, only asking him to return after taking care of their guest. They'll have to decide if they really want to trust him, Link guesses. At worst, he'll have a nice night in an actual bed before being kicked out. His back will appreciate that for sure. And then in the morning he'll deal with whatever decisions the zora will have reached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's an alternate first meeting with Sidon in the game if you never talk to him at Inogo bridge before heading for the domain, and while it's short I adore it for the glimpse behind the perfect prince persona :D


	13. Zora's Domain

Link exits the inn with his hood hiding his face, determined to explore the Domain a bit before finding out if he's allowed to stay. There's a shrine near the inn he wants to activate, and he wants a closer look at some stones that seem to shine in the dark. As soon as he steps outside though, he finds prince Sidon waiting for him. 

"You are an early riser, my friend!" the prince notes, closing a book. "I had brought some work, but I suppose it will have to wait. And I note you have taken a bath!" 

"Last night you did remind me at least three times that I could," Link retorts. "I took the hint. But is it customary for zora princes to come check on all the guests of their province? You must be quite a busy man." 

"You are no ordinary guest," the prince reminds him. "And I was tasked with making sure you have a comfortable stay while you help us." 

A lovely sentiment that Link would have fully believed if Sidon wasn't a poor liar. He stands just a little too still, and he’s trying too hard to avoid Link’s eyes to be fully honest.

"Hmm... And perhaps you were ordered to keep an eye on me in case I'm not all I say I am?" 

Sidon grimaces, and looks almost relieved to have been found out. "My father thinks you are hiding things from us," he confesses. 

"But not you?" 

"Oh I am _ absolutely certain _ you are keeping secrets. But I also believe you are sincere in wanting to help us, so why should your past matter?" 

Link stares. That is a very noble and very stupid attitude. In the hylian court, Sidon wouldn't have lasted two days. But of course he is not hylian, and there's no longer a court in Hyrule Castle to destroy his optimism. Zora might be a little less cruel than hylians, for all their shark-like traits.

"Tell me, Lin, how would you like some breakfast?" Sidon offers, smiling. "And then I'll take your to our library so you can start your work."

"What about the Divine Beast? I thought the deal was..." 

"We don't keep shock arrows here," Sidon explains, more subdued as he leads Link away from the inn. "Electricity is deadly to us, weapons imbued with it are subject to very strict control within Zorana and to be short, they are usually outlawed. As soon as we understood what was happening with Vah Ruta we placed a special order with the gerudo, but it has not arrived yet."

That was a good month of travel back in the days, Link calculates. It should be a bit more now, even if most of the roads have survived. If Vah Ruta woke at the same time as Link did, the order must be on its way to Zorana already. He has two weeks, maybe three before needing to face that huge thing in the lake. 

If he can conduct his research fast enough, he could be gone before the shock arrows arrive, go pick up Meep, and be out of this dying land before everything goes wrong.

After all, this place isn't his problem. Sure last night he promised many things and was sincere, but that was the dead boy's influence. After spending much of the night shutting off the ghost's emotions, Link can be rational once more and decide that if he has any chance to get what he wants and not have to _fight a_ _giant machine_ for it, he'll do that. 

"Well, I can't wait for the arrows to get here!" Link says with a smile. "This Vah Ruta thing is really worrisome." 

"It is," Sidon agrees, stopping in front of a shop. "There we are, pick a fish, my friend, and we'll return to the inn so it can be cooked for you." 

Delighted by the idea of food, Link presses his face against the aquarium's glass to peer at the fish. Aside from a big fat bass, Link has never seen those before. His stay in Zora's Domain just became a lot more interesting if it can be a chance to try new foods. Maybe he can get a zora to show him some good fishing spots? They’re mostly piscivores, so they might even be able to teach him how to fish more efficiently than he currently does. His best option so far has been to shoot arrows, but that’s slow and requires a lot of effort.

While Link is busy choosing his next meal, another zora approaches the shop, saluting prince Sidon when he sees him. 

"Ah, captain Bazz ! I have great news!" Prince Sidon announces, putting one hand on Link's shoulder. "We have finally found a hylian willing to help us!" 

"That's great!" Bazz replies with a wide smile that cools a little when he realises he means Link. "Oh, him ? But he's...rather _ small _? I mean no offence my prince, but are you sure? He doesn't look like a warrior. Can you use a bow, hylian?" 

"Of course he can," the prince replies for Link. 

"Then perhaps we'll get a demonstration from our hylian friend. Shock arrows aren't easy to come by, we can't afford to lose a single one, your majesty." 

Link is _ impressed _. Zora's Domain is a huge place, one that he knows extend deep into hidden underground lakes and flooded tunnels. It'd be a pretty odd coincidence to have met by accident the captain of the zora knights... Which Bazz is; Link can recognise his insignia thanks to the dead boy's memories. Sidon must have planned this, must have known they would meet this particular zora who would want to check that Link can do what he promised. A clever way for Sidon to test him without looking doubtful. Perhaps the prince is smarter than Link thought. 

"I'd be happy to show what I can do," Link assures them. "It has been a while and some practice could do me good, especially when I know how important this is! Also, I'd like that fish," he says, turning to the shopkeeper and pointing at a slim but pretty carp.

The fish is promptly taken out of the aquarium and decapitated in a swift gesture. Prince Sidon insists to pay so Link offers him the fish's head, a zora delicacy. The prince takes a bite to politely show he accepts the gift, and Link gnaws at the body, careful to avoid bones. 

"Have you ever been among zora before?" captain Bazz asks, looking at him with open fascination. 

"It's my first time," Link assures him, wondering what he did to betray himself. 

"I truly believed hylians only ate cooked food," prince Sidon says, looking just as fascinated. "And what few hylian visitors we get here always try to throw away the head." 

"Oh. That. I was raised by bokoblins," Link chuckles nervously. "It's good even raw anyway, you know? Well, yes. You'd know."

The bokoblin comment has the two zora grinning as if it were a good joke. Without Meep as his side to prove it, what can it be but a silly jest? It seems to satisfy them because they don't insist. Captain Bazz buys his own breakfast and all three eat (the fish's scales don't bother the zora, but they get stuck in Link's teeth and on his palate) before heading out together to the training grounds so Link can show his proficiency. 

If Link was crossing his fingers for a private performance, he soon loses all hope of that when they arrive to the training grounds and find them occupied by zora knights drilling exercises. Captain Bazz goes to the officer in charge who looks absolutely delighted to stop everything after being told that an actual hylian has arrived to help Zora's Domain. The knights’ excitement is immediate and, as far as Link is concerned, a little embarrassing. How desperate were they all before he arrived? And how hopeless will they be if he's lucky and manages to leave without having to face that stupid Divine Beast? 

Captain Bazz returns near Link and Sidon, followed by the officer who was already present and another zora. 

"We're almost ready for the demonstration," the captain announces. "If you can follow Rivan and Dunma to the armoury... You don't have a bow of your own, do you? While you pick one, we'll get some targets ready." 

Link readily agrees. The armoury is a delight to behold when they get there, filled with beautiful silvery spears and shields that Link can't help but go inspect. This is so much better than the shoddy swords and old pot covers he's had to use so far. There's craftsmanship in those spears that are a little heavy for him but _ gorgeously _balanced. 

"The bows are on this side," one of the zoras point out with a smirk. "Though I'm sure if you want to show us what else you know, we'll all be glad to watch." 

Link joins the two zora, quite half-heartedly. The bows are nice to look at too, but just one look tells him they aren't as good as the spears. Metal bows are just too heavy and don't have the same spring as wooden longbows or, even better as a composite bow. Of course composite isn't an option in such a wet climate. The glue wouldn't age well in this humidity. Still, what he'd give for even a simple longbow instead of those aluminium atrocities... 

"Not finding anything to your liking, master hylian?" the youngest of the two zora asks. "I suppose those might be a bit big for you."

"I've handled worse," Link assures her, pushing down his hood to see better and grabbing a bow at random, pulling on the string. It is heavier and tighter than would be ideal, but he can make it work. 

When he turns to show that he picked a weapon, the oldest zora is staring at him with his jaw slack in shock.

"So the hylian prince Sidon brought here... Don't tell me... Master Link! Is it truly you? The hylian champion?! It's me! Rivan! We used to swim together when I was but a child... Remember?" 

It's all Link can do not to drop the bow and run away. He _ does _ remember Rivan, little more than a tadpole with legs and teeth. He remembers playing with a whole groupe of zoras who were in awe of his swordsmanship while he _ begged _them to teach him to dive. And Mipha who joined them whenever she could. Mipha who died because of him, because he was stupid enough to believe... 

Once more, Link has to push down the feelings and memories of the dead boy. He then forces a smile. 

"Sorry, you have me confused with someone else," he laughs. "Hasn't it been something like a hundred year since there's been a hylian champion? If he's still alive, he must be a little bit older than I am." 

The zora's hopeful smile falls. "Oh. Well it has been over 100 years since then... And now I'm over 130 years old... Now that I think about it, wouldn't he be dead?" 

The other zora sighs, and taps her foot on the floor. "Father... We are on duty right now." 

Father? Little Rivan who couldn't even look Link in the eye most days for how shy he was, and he is a father now? Link can feel the dead boy's joy for his old friend and a thousand questions pooling up, threatening to destroy his cover if he asks a single one of them. Thankfully, Rivan seems quite shaken by this near meeting with the ghost of an old friend. He apologies for forgetting his duties and excuses himself, pretexting he'll go warn Captain Bazz that they are returning. 

His daughter watches him leave and grimaces. 

"It looks like my father was rather excited to speak with you..." she sighs. "Please excuse him. The old hylian champion was his friend and he never really accepted... Oh well. He should know hylians don't live this long. My name is Dunma, by the way. Shall we go back to the other now that you have a bow?" 

"Sure," Link mumbles, covering himself with his hood once more. Rivan might not be the only one of his old friends. In fact, isn't Bazz a familiar name too? There was an overexcited little fellow... But Link pushes that memory away as he did for the others. " How old are you, Dunma?" 

"That is NOT an appropriate question to ask a lady you've just met!" she exclaims as they leave the armoury. "Lets just say I'm less than 100 years old. Can't you tell? I'm so much less formal than the elders, aren't I?"

"Hmm. Zora really live long, right?" 

"We live a normal amount. _ Gorons _ live long! And hylians have short lives if one hundred is considered old. Look at Prince Sidon, he's barely one hundred and ten and for a hylian that's... _ ancient _, right?" 

Link doesn't insist, but only because they have rejoined the others and he doesn't want to risk attracting attention with his questions. Besides, he knows what he needs to know: only zoras of Dunma's age and younger will be safe to be around, because they can't have known the dead boy. Now to learn how to tell an old zora from a young one... 

But first, an archery demonstration. Link doesn't do too well at first, the bow too big and heavy for him, but after figuring out how to compensate for that, he hits his targets with relative ease. Even when Bazz ups the challenge by throwing air balloon for him to shoot at, Link hits well over half his targets. Meep would have hit them all, but she's had a century of boredom on the plateau to perfect her deadly art. For a two months old, Link is doing fine and the zoras seem to agree. 

"You're better at this than I'd expect from a scholar!" Dunma exclaims. 

"Used to be a knight," Link retorts before he can stop himself. Dunma, captain Bazz and the others laugh it off, appropriately amused by the idea, but Sidon looks a little too intrigued. "Yeah, my whole family is a line of knights," Link insists, puffing his chest in the most ridiculous manner he can manage. "In fact, I am a descendant from one of the Goddess's chosen heroes, my father used to tell me. I probably could go and hold the sacred sword, but since it's lost we'll never know." 

The zora knights are laughing so hard that some of them are breathless, but Sidon is still staring, looking more serious by the minute. 

"What do you say, your majesty? Don't I look like the handsome hero you were waiting for?" Link teases, and that, finally, does throw Sidon off, making him blush. "I know it's traditional to rescue a hylian princess, but I'd easily settle for a zora prince." 

That does the trick, Sidon looks away while captain Bazz teases him about adding a new member to his fanclub. Still Link doesn't like that the prince stared so seriously. What if king Dorephan has suspicions about Link's true identity and shared them with his son? If they figure out he's the one responsible for Mipha's death... 

But with the way Sidon easily responds to the slightest of flirting, it'll be easy to distract him from his doubts. 

With that little test out of the way (and with Bazz making Link promise he'll come practice every day until the arrows arrive) Sidon finally takes Link to the royal library so he can start his research on navigable commercial routes. Sidon has him meet Laflat, the royal secretary, and gives instructions for Link to be given access to any documents he might need, as well as to material for taking notes. Laflat is a very helpful lady. Too helpful. She finds Link way too many books that touch the subject he pretended to care about rather than what actually interests him. For that first day he pretends to be thankful and gets reading in case she'll report his behaviour to Sidon. Laflat doesn't seem like she's paying him much attention, but Link knows that doesn't mean anything. 

The following day, Link starts orienting Laflat more toward sea based travels. Her pick of books is still filled with incredibly dull trade estimates, but they mention boats that can carry many barrels and passengers. That would require something far bigger than anything Link saw in Lurelin... Though when he checks the dates, he discovers these boats fell into disuse long before his birth because the roads seemed a safer alternative. But why? There are very few mentions of pirates or monsters, and the boats were apparently sturdy enough to survive harsh weather. 

On his third day of research, Link gets a hint as to why the boats were abandoned. One hylian king started sending some toward the open seas and those never returned. At least, they never returned _ whole _. One survivor was found once who, before he perished from the effects of exposure, talked a great storm, an invisible force that stopped them, and a terrible voice warning of the doom awaiting those who left Hyrule. 

The king who had sent the boat was murdered not long after, and his successor thought it more worth his money to improve the roads. 

"That's stupid," Link grumbles to himself. "One dying man and they give up?" 

"Frustrated by your research, master Lin?" Prince Sidon asks as he sits down near Link, startling him. "I'm sorry if we don't have much to offer. Our library is mostly concerned with the deeds of our own kind." 

Link takes a deep breath to calm his racing heart and makes himself smile. "On the contrary your highness, just a few days here have taught me more than I've ever found in any hylian settlement. I can never thank you enough for this. Though I suppose if you're here it means I must stop for the day?" 

It's how things have worked so far. Sidon has little time to spare, but every morning he takes Link to the training grounds, then to the library, and he comes back in the evening to take him back to the inn. It seems a bit early to return to the Seabed Inn, but with the constant rain it's hard to tell the time. 

"Actually, my father requires Laflat's help for some business he has," the prince explains. "I do not have her skill nor her knowledge of the library, but if you'd like I can try to help you." 

"Sure, if you can help me figure out why no one has ever left Hyrule," Link huffs, too frustrated to be careful. 

He regrets it when Sidon gives him a long thoughtful look. Before Link can pretend he was joking, the prince dashes away, claiming he needs to check something. 

Soon enough Sidon is back and drops some more books on the table, startling Link again. 

"I think those might interest you. Tales of a hero who went beyond the seas in the age of myth and found other lands. Of course it is so ancient that it might be only a fairy tale, but..." 

"I'll take the fairy tale," Link assures him, closing the treaty on the trade of preserved salmon he was reading to grab one of the new volumes. "_ A Journey to Dream Island _?" 

"The first one is considered the least reliable," the prince admits with a small grimace. "Very entertaining though. It tells of a magical island populated with dreams and nightmares. The other two might hold some truth. They are considered authentic by scholars, and the _ Travel to Labrynna _ contains knowledge of zora culture that few hylians of that time would have been allowed."

So someone had escaped Hyrule before, even if they chose to come back after. And not just anyone: the preface to _ Dream Island _ identified the author as Link, hero of Hyrule. That meant at least another hylian chosen by Hylia had decided to reject his fate. It was an oddly comforting thought. These books, preserved through ages, feel like a message sent to him: it is _ right _to want control over his fate. 

"I used to love having those read to me when I was younger," the prince explains, picking up _ Tribulations in Holodrum _ with a fond smile. "Times were simpler then and I dreamed of imitating that great hero and travel to new lands... Did you have grandiose dreams of the sort too?" 

The question surprises Link enough that he looks up from the book. If the dead boy ever had a dream, it died early when the sword chose him. As for Link... 

"I was a very serious child, I never bothered with silly dreams." 

"You don't look the serious type," Sidon protests. "I wouldn't have thought you a researcher if I hadn't seen you so hard at work. You have more the allure of an adventurer." 

"Is that why you look so much, your majesty?" Link boldly asks, enjoying the way Sidon's eyes widen and colours shift on his cheeks. "Can't blame you. I am a rather unique specimen of a hylian and you don't see my kind a lot, hm?" 

It's _ fun _to fluster the prince. There's been a few people who expressed some kind of interest in Link, but never anything as obvious as the way this giant fish reacts to his teasing. Link has to assume the poor prince can't be used to attention. Perhaps his size makes him uninteresting to his kind, in spite of his status? Or perhaps he really does have a preference for hylians… or he’s just faking it so Link won’t take him too seriously. Sidon can’t lie well, but he can manipulate as their ‘encounter’ with captain Bazz proved that first morning. Link needs to stay careful around him… though he can still have fun teasing him, just to see what will happen.

"You are rather overconfident," Sidon complains. "I do _ not _ look at you. That is, no more than I need to. And I _ do _ need to because you are our guest and a treasured friend who agreed to help and... Will you _ please _stop that?" 

Link, who has been nodding along with a knowing smile, grins and pats the prince's arm.

"It's ok, friend. I know the effect I can have. If you want later we can talk again about how much my gorgeousness distracts you, but for now I need to get reading again." 

"If anything, I seem to be the one distracting you," Sidon grumbles. "Very well, I will let you work."

The prince goes away to check some books for himself and sits in a corner to read without bothering Link. It's odd to see this big red excited puppy do something so calm. Sidon looks serious and princely, almost like his sister when she was working on something or healing someone... But Link doesn't want to think of princess Mipha, not now, not ever. He returns to his books, trying to understand what pushed this other Link to leave everything behind. 

The author never outright explains his reasons, but he mentions here and there the need to get away from the pressures put on him for being the goddess's chosen hero. Link is particularly struck when his namesake mentions that though he knew he must destroy the nightmare king that plagued the island he had arrived on, he was tempted to do no such thing as he would not be permitted to stay there after the deed was done. All that Link had wanted was a simple life, happiness and the quiet life he had known long ago, before fate chose him. 

It's such a relief to know that another hero, and one who _ did _accomplish his fate, also had dreams of anonymity. Link isn't wicked for wanting to be happy, because this other like him half hints his regrets of been chosen and losing all he held dear. 

_ A journey to Dream Island _ is quickly finished and Link eagerly grabs _ Tribulations in Holodrum _, hoping his namesake finally found some happiness, but that's the moment Sidon chooses to close his own book and return to him. 

"I fear it is getting late, my friend," the prince announces. 

"But I'm just getting started! Those are _ fascinating _ ! To think someone might have left Hyrule, it gives me..." link hesitates. Hope isn't something he should admit too, not when everyone keeps saying that Hyrule is a _ perfect _place under the Goddess's guidance. 

"You can continue reading tomorrow," Sidon promises. "I think we have a few commentaries on those texts too, if that might interest you. They might be in zora script though, so..." 

"It's fine, I can read zora," Link retorts, thinking of those tall steles he saw on his way to Zora's Domain. Some had been too damaged by rain to be fully legible, but what wasn't damaged he could read without problem. 

Prince Sidon looks positively shocked at the news. "You _ can _? But that's... We haven't shared that knowledge with hylians since... Since the Calamity! And even then..." 

"My dad taught me," Link quickly interrupts before doing some quick math and figuring out the excuse won't work. "Learned it from _ his _dad. Scholarly interest runs in the family so I've been taught all manners of scripts." 

"I thought you came from a family of knights?" 

Right. Link said that the other day, didn't he? Curse Sidon for paying attention and remembering his lies. 

"What is it to be a knight today?" Link laughs awkwardly. "No king to make it official, eh? Mostly we had a few swords at home and whenever we weren't training our minds we trained our bodies. And that's how I became the most attractive and smart hylian since the Calamity." 

Sidon smiles at the boast, but Link feels a little nervous about it because some of it might be true. His father wanted to give him a well rounded education and make him an enlightened knight. At least, before the sword. After that, his physical training took precedence. Heroes don't need to be cultured, only to be _ efficient _. 

"You certainly are something unique, my friend," Sidon agrees. "Tell me, how tired are you?" 

"Not at all," Link assures him, hoping to be allowed to keep reading a while longer. 

"Then how would you like a tour of the Domain?" the prince offers instead.

"I'd love that!" Link exclaims before his brain can catch up with the implications.

There are zoras who knew the dead boy. Kodah and Kayden, who run the inn, had to be carefully told on the first day that no, he isn't their old friend. Kodah still insists on calling him Linny, which is both annoying and pleasant. She always liked to tease him, and... 

As he continually has to do, Link smothers the dead boy's sentimentalism. If that boy wanted to have friends, he should have stayed alive. Link's only friend is a red bokoblin, and all he wants is to leave Hyrule with her and be free. Everyone else can drown in Vah Ruta's rains for all he cares. 

"I mean, it'd be lovely but I can't take you from your duties," Link tries to correct. "You are already losing enough time on me. But I'll try to have a walk around someday. I'm very interested in your kingdom." 

"I have plenty of time now," Sidon assures him. "And it is the ideal time to visit. My father and his council are discussing some emergency measures to protect the Domain from the rain... Which means we are assured not to run into any of the council members tonight. They are... Ah... Not very _ fond _of hylians, so I'd rather not subject you to them. "

Since Muzu has since been described to him by Laflat as being rather moderate on the subject of getting hylian help, Link would rather not meet the others. 

"Shouldn't a prince be present at such an important council?" Link insists. 

Sidon blushes. "Yes, well. Usually I _ would _be, but considering neither me nor the Elders can agree on certain subjects, my father has decided it'd be best if I weren't present. A little less shouting, a few more decisions being made." 

It's easy to imagine Sidon disrupting important conversations if he's angry. The way he had grabbed Link and snarled at him when he'd thought him an ordinary interloper... The hylian still shivers at the memory. Sidon might be sweet and easily flustered now, but he's capable of being dangerous and Link can't forget that. 

"Well if I won't be a bother, I'd be delighted to spend some time with you," Link announces, reluctantly closing his book. "And having a look around should be nice too, I suppose." 

The prince coughs, colours shifting on his cheeks. Sidon can be dangerous, but so long as Link can keep him guessing, there shouldn't be any risks. 

Let the zora have that, their Domain is a gorgeous place. The intricate architecture decorated by the soft glow of luminous stones is a beautiful sight, especially as darkness falls and the soft sound of rain gives everything a dreamlike quality. Link has to fight the dead boy's nostalgia with everything he has. At least Sidon's company helps. The prince speaks enough that it distracts Link from the ghosts of someone else's life. With Sidon describing the origins of this water way and the recent repairs it underwent, Link can almost forget how he and his zora friends would glide down it whenever they could escape adults' attention. And this belvedere might have been their place of choice for sword training, but now Sidon is explaining to him how a great zora poet used to come here to compose because of the spending view of the many waterfalls around the Domain. 

"Of course it's dark now so you can see them," the prince notices with a grimace. "Actually with those heavy rains, even in daylight you would see very little. But they truly are something to behold, and his work did them justice. If you'd like, I think I'm still capable of reciting some." 

"How very romantic," Link retorts. "I must warn you for hylians that could be mistaken for a seduction attempt." 

Sidon pauses for a moment, as if only now realising what he's offered. 

"It could be seen that way too among zoras," he confesses. "But I know you won't think much of it. I wouldn't take you for the sort to be so easily wooed." 

That's accurate and Link can't help a chuckle. Still he also doesn't miss the shifting colours on Sidon's cheeks as he shares a poem about fleeting rainbows and everlasting cascades... Though that might just be because the poem really is that beautiful. Link thinks he's heard it before. From Mipha, or perhaps from Muzu? Certainly not from his other zora friends, none of whom had been at an age to be interested in such things. 

"That was actually very nice," Link says when Sidon is done. "Now you're making me want to see those waterfalls." 

"When Vah Ruta has been calmed I can take you to see them up close," Sidon offers. "We could even swim up one if you'd like." 

"That doesn't sound like something that's possible," Link retorts, thinking of the waterfalls he saw coming to Zora's Domain and the strong currents they create. 

"Not for a hylian perhaps, but I'm a zora and stronger than most so I can easily... Oh no!" 

Without warning Sidon crouches against the low wall of the belvedere, trying to hide his massive frame. 

"Do you think he's seen me?" the prince whispers. "Is he still there?" 

One hand pressed against his mouth, Link tries not to laugh at the elegant prince suddenly acting like a guilty child. He glances at the nearby great stairs where Sidon's eyes were a moment earlier, but doesn't see anyone that should have frightened him, just some zora going about their business and a strange creature that looks made of rock... A goron, the dead boy informs him. 

"Not sure who you're hiding from, friend," Link chuckles. 

"It's that goron, Reagah!" Sidon whispers, risking a peek above the wall. "He's still there! Can you tell me when he's gone? I really would rather not have to meet him." 

Link sniggers and looks at the goron who is slowly going down the stairs. He doesn't seem mean, and the dead boy seems to have had mostly pleasant encounters with that race, but with Sidon reacting so strongly... 

"So what did that big evil rock man even do to you, highness?" 

"He was very kind and helpful which I repaid by being very rude," Sidon confesses, his cheeks colouring again. "We had such trouble finding a hylian willing to help so when Torfeau met a goron she thought it was worth a try. They can touch shock arrows without problems, it would have been perfect, except..." 

Sidon peeks again at the goron, almost out of view now. 

"Part of the plan requires whoever helps us to be carried on my back as I swim around the Beast," he sighs. "And gorons are... not _ light _. Which I pointed out very rudely when Reagah kindly offered his help. Needless to say he was rather offended and... Please stop laughing, this was a very embarrassing moment!"

Link only laughs harder at the sheer outrage in the prince's voice. He wishes he could have been there because that must have been quite the scene. 

"I apologised!" Sidon insists, standing up again now that his nemesis is gone. "But he still seems very cross at me and apparently tells everyone what happened. And it doesn't look like he's leaving the Domain any time soon because he's trying to have Dento accept him as an apprentice."

"There goes your reputation," Link teases. "Everyone now knows you're just a rude asshole. Tragic."

"I feel you're not taking this very seriously." 

"Then you are mistaken. I don't take this seriously _ at all _. But of course I'm immune to whatever charm you might have since you tried to rip out my throat when we first met." 

Sidon grimaces and looks up in despair. "I would never have done that!" he protests. "Not unless you appeared to be a danger to my father, which you were not." 

The thought of him, barely taller than a zora child, being any danger to a behemoth like Dorephan who he knows to be a fierce warrior, has Link doubled over from laughing. He hasn't had that much fun since he's had to leave Meep behind, and he missed it. 

It takes Link a while to calm down, but Sidon doesn't seem to mind being the cause of that hilarity. Instead he offers that they continue their tour, suggesting they go buy something to eat if Link wants to try some zora delicacies. An offer Link cannot refuse, because so far the zora are a great people when it comes to food. There is very little that lives in water that they won't consider eating. 

That evening, Link gets to try snails. They are extremely chewy and rather slimy, but not unpleasant. He's certainly had worse. Considering he's been poisoned a few times and once ate a piece of clay that's not much to say, but snails still go on his list of good food. 

While they munch on those tasty snails, Sidon continues showing him around. Link can't help but be a little impressed by the passion his new 'friend' had for his home. Sidon has a story to tell about every stair, every building, every style of sculpture and decoration and the people who repair them. He explains how most people fish for a living, how the snails are farmed and how much the calamity has impacted their economy but they have started recovering from it. Sidon loves his country and his people, just as much as his sister used to do.

Just as much as Revali loved Tabantha. 

The thought hits Link as a punch and he drops his last snail. After days of repressing memories about everything around him, here is one he cannot contain. Revali, grumbling about having to babysit him. The rito Elder asking her champion to guide Link in the village. Revali furious but doing it anyway, boasting about his people's history, their crafts, their country, pride and passion and a _ love _ for all of it that had stunned Link because he'd never before seen Revali's eyes shine so bright. It had been the beginning of all his troubles, something he had briefly suspected had cost him the Goddess's grace... Until he died soon after and realised _ nothing _ he could have done would have been good enough. It wasn't _ his _submission She had wanted. And so his adoration had turned to wrath, and... 

"Lin, are you alright?" Sidon asks, one hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to the present. 

"I'm fine," Link breathlessly lies. "I bit my tongue. Damn but that hurts, right?" 

There's open concern in Sidon's big golden eyes, something that makes him look even more like his sister. Link quickly forces himself to grin and bends to pick up his snail so he doesn't have to look at the zora. One bad memory is enough for the night. 

"Ok, what are you showing me next?" he asks Sidon, still careful not to look at him. "Or perhaps I've kept you up long enough? I don't want to trouble you more than necessary." 

"You don't trouble me, my friend. Perhaps I could quickly show you the sleeping pools before sending you to rest? The ones on this floor are particularly gorgeous!"

Link cheerfully agrees and lets the zora lead the way. His heart is still beating too hard from thinking of that rito the dead boy once loved, but he'll calm down soon enough. And maybe it's good that he remembered that, and this precise moment. It's a warning to be careful. The dead boy fell in love and created all sorts of trouble for himself because of it. 

Good thing Link is _ smarter _ than that. Sure Sidon is nice and _ tall _and not half bad looking, but the only reason he's kind to Link is because he loves his people and knows he has to get someone to protect them. Link knows it, knows they're both playing a game of pretences. 

He won't be stupid enough to forget what's real and what's not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there's two official versions on whether the Link that went to Koholint is the same as in the Oracle games or not. For convenience I'm saying he is.


	14. Ploymus Mountain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for violence

Link closes the last book of his pile and sighs. For three weeks now he's been in zora's domain and he is starting to accept that there is no escaping Hyrule by sea. Aside from one man, over two thousand years earlier, no one has ever accomplished such a thing... Or if they did, they never returned to free their compatriotes. It's likely even that legendary hero who bears the same name as him never truly left. Some scholars seem to doubt he ever existed, but Link is certain of _ that _ at least. He is also certain that his namesake _ wanted _to escape, enough so that if he didn't manage, he still invented all these adventures away from a land already plagued by evil. 

For Link, fantasies won't be enough. He needs to do something now because every passing day fills the reservoir a little more, bringing them closer to a catastrophe that will ruin Hyrule more surely than Ganon did. And soon the shock arrows will arrive, Link will be forced to make good on his promises and fulfil his fate by calming the Divine Beast. 

Fuck fate and fuck the Goddess and fuck everything else too. 

"I'm done for today," he tells Laflat. "Should I help you put back the books? I don't think I'll need those again." 

"That won't be necessary," she answers, as always. "I'll warn prince Sidon that you've already gone when he comes by. Where might he find you?" 

The last thing Link wants as he's preparing to abandon the Domain to its fate is to see Sidon. The prince cares so much about his people that it contaminates Link when he's around him. 

"I'll probably be at the Seabed Inn... No, wait, I won't be," Link corrects, realising how bad it'll look if Sidon goes there and finds him getting ready to leave. "I promised Gruve I'd let him give me some diving lessons so I'll probably be hanging out with him on the highest floor."

It's not even a lie, Link tells himself as he heads for the inn. He will go see Gruve after he's packed. He doesn't own much, and if he leaves he'll be using the slate to teleport so no one can try to stop him. 

Gruve is a pleasant distraction. All zoras enjoy diving, but he is a fanatic and talks about it with a passion that Link can only appreciate. Sometimes it's a little hard to follow his explanations about form or his ellipses about the beauty of a perfect dive, but he's fun to be around and he doesn't ask questions about Link's life. 

He does tend to insist Link needs to try diving too, that he can't learn the true beauty of it from just watching, until Link points out what a pain in the ass it'd be for him to get back to the upper levels of the Domains. 

"He'll make you jump someday," a small voice warns him just after Gruve performs another elegant dive. "And you'll break your neck because hylians are _fragile_." 

Link turns to discover Finley, they innkeepers' daughter. It's no big surprise, she's the same age as Gruve, as she's explained once, even if he looks fully adult and she barely reaches Link's chest. Zora grow in weird ways, and Finley apparently got the short straw for it. 

"You look in excellent humour today," Link notes. "Another argument with your mother?" 

"I'm so mad at her!" Finley complains, as she does every time Link has been around her. "I need to go to the bank of wishes to send a letter... But my mother won't let me go because of that water monster. She treats me like I'm still a child. It's so _ condescending _." 

"You are a child!" Gruve shouts at her as he lands next to them after swimming up a waterfall. Link finds it more impressive than diving, though Gruve claims it's inelegant. "And if she knew who you're writing to..." 

Finley's cheeks colour quickly and she punches her friend's thigh hard enough to make him wince. 

"Keeping secrets from your mom?" Link teases, remembering Kodah always got in trouble with her own mother, sometimes by his fault. "Absolutely terrible, as the only adult present here I should go and warn her." 

"If you do, I'll tell her who broke the vase in the lobby," Finley retorts. "And I'm not doing anything wrong. I just have a penpal, and I haven't been able to write to him since he started raining, he must be so worried!" 

"I can't believe you have a hylian boyfriend," Gruve sighs. "You're just like your mom." 

For betraying her secret Finley tries to punch him again, but Gruve avoids it by diving again, laughing as he does so. 

"Don't say a word!" Finley warns Link. "A lot of zoras like hylians! And anyway Sasan isn't my boyfriend... yet. I was going to invite him to the Domain but then it started raining... I hope you can handle that soon." 

At the reminder of the promise he doesn't want to keep, Link winces. It's easy to want to drop it all when he's alone, but when he's actually among zoras he's reminded that he _ likes _ tem, that actual _ lives _are at stakes. Going after the Divine Beast means playing his part in a game he despises, but refusing to do so makes him a monster. 

"Can't you just have a crush on the prince like everyone else? It'd be easier than trying to get with some hylian you've never met." 

Finley rolls her eyes at the suggestion. "He's just way too big," she protests. "Hylians are better because they're small and cute, even when they're big! And they are warm and cuddly... I don't see how you could prefer a zora over another nice, warm, squishy hylian." 

Link tilts his head, unsure what she means, and she rolls her eyes again. There's something oddly familiar about that, though. A conversation the dead boy had with Kodah about... About someone who liked Link, and who Kodah suspected Link of liking. He remembers laughing at the very idea, but he can't be sure if it was before or after the sword. Laughing sounds like before the sword, but for them to start worrying about love sounds like they'd have been older than that.

He remembers also the discomfort and doubt after that discussion, the way he hadn't looked at that other friend the same way. Whoever they were, the dead boy hadn't known how to feel, partly because to feel anything at all was a distraction from his dedication to the Goddess. Link remembers telling himself he needed no mortal love because She had chosen him... Until he'd met an abrasive, arrogant rito who made him question his devotion to Hylia in a way his zora friend never did.

The dead boy had been an idiot both for falling in love and for needing that push to start questioning his fate. 

"My only love is my work," Link proclaims, a little unnerved by the thought the dead boy used to say something similar. "If you're talking about prince Sidon, our relationship is strictly professional. You'll understand when you're older." 

"I am eighty three. How old are you again?"

"It's about maturity, not age," Link retorts, uncertain that he's doing much better on that front but too focused on repressing old memories to handle an argument. "I think I'll go back to your parent’s inn now, it's getting late." 

In fairness Link has no idea what time it is in the constant cloudy weather. He misses being able to use the slate for that at least, it is a convenient clock if nothing else. Finley has an annoyingly knowing smile as she bids him goodnight, but Link doesn't care. Let her think what she likes. 

His thoughts are racing as he goes down the great stairs towards the inn. About this friend who liked him and how he didn't want that to change things, because the dead boy hated change. About whether he should stay in Zora's Domain or leave them to their problem.

They'll be fine even without him, Link tells himself. They'll have the shock arrows and even if another hylian doesn't come around, old Seggin can somewhat handle them so he'll be able to calm the Beast for a while. The rest isn't his problem so long as Meep and him are fine. And yet to imagine Sidon's disappointment at this betrayal, to know what could happen to Dunma and her father, to Gruve, to Finley and all the others he's met... 

There's a attroupement in the main plaza, with some animated conversation going on around an oddly distressed looking Sidon. Link comes closer, both because he's curious and because that's on the path to the inn. Most of the crowd is knights, but he also spots some of the sculptors that have been doing maintenance work on the great stairs. 

"It's a disaster," he hears Ledo say to Rivan. "What will we do? We're running out of time!" 

"His majesty will find something," Rivan assures him with one hand on Ledo's cheek.

"Yes, what will you do, your majesty?" another zora questions Sidon. "We're doomed!" 

The prince smiles best as he can and exchanges a glance with Bazz. 

"We are going to find a way,” Sidon promises. “What happened is deeply regrettable, but we won't let it stop us. Please be at peace. The king and I will immediately start working out on this problem. It is not the first time we have been faced with crisis but the Domain has always survived before, and it will survive today too."

That doesn't seem to convince people too much but Bazz is the one to handle their questions after that while Sidon slithers away towards the stairs, probably to go meet with his father. Link knows none of this is his problem but he stills runs down the steps to meet the prince. 

"Ah, there you are my friend," Sidon says with a half-hearted smile. "I hope your day was pleasant?" 

"Better than yours by the looks of it. What happened?" 

Sidon hesitates, and motions for Link to follow him as he goes up. 

"The people we had sent to buy shock arrows have returned today, empty handed," he explains in a hurried whisper. "They were attacked by a gang of lizalfos down the river and the monsters took hold of the cargo. So now we have no shock arrows, but we _ do _have a mob of heavily armed lizalfos on our doors. Because their natural electric magic did not make them dangerous enough..."

"Then for Vah Ruta..." 

Sidon stops and stares at Link. 

"We can't stop Vah Ruta. We are mere days away from the reservoir overflowing. It's over." 

The words, coming from someone who for weeks had assured everyone around him that everything would be fine, strike Link. 

"Can't you try and get the arrows back? I've fought lizalfos before down by the sea, they're strong but not..." 

"Electricity is deadly to zoras," Sidon cuts him. "I will try to mount an expedition, yes, but I fear now our main efforts will be on finishing to evacuate the Domain. I'm sorry you got caught up in this, my friend. You should leave while you still can." 

Link is tempted to accept. He wanted to leave anyway. And yet to see Sidon so broken, to hear the growing murmurs as the news spread among the Domain... Link hesitates. 

_ We are not abandoning them _ , the dead boy shouts from within. Not _ them _ , not now. It's not about Hylia or about fate, it's about good people who are going to die and a history at risk of being destroyed. It's about doing what's _ right _. 

For once, Link doesn't silence that annoying ghost. He likes the zora, and he likes those few hylians he's met down in the plains.

Just this time, he'll play Hylia's game. 

"I'll go get those shock arrows from the lizalfos," he announces. "Down the river you said?"

"My friend, I forbid it!" Sidon exclaims. "There were dozens of them! It's a miracle no one was killed from our expedition, but a hylian alone? You'd have a better chance trying to steal shock arrows from the Lynel!" 

"Fine. Then I'll do that. One way or another, I'll get those arrows, and we'll stop Vah Ruta and protect your people. If you won't help me, I'll find someone who does." 

"Don't be stupid, you'll get yourself killed!" Sidon insists, grabbing Link's shoulders to keep him there. 

Instincts kick in and so does Link, slumping down to escape that grip while throwing one foot against Sidon's knee so he won't grasp him again, then jumping back to put distance between them. He could easily flee if this were a real fight, but instead he stands there, just as stunned as Sidon. 

Link recovers first from the surprise. 

"I think I'll do just fine against any enemy that attacks me," he boasts, grinning confidently as if he'd meant to do that.

"You are certainly a unique hylian," Sidon admits with a frown, though his cheeks colour. "Still, to go against lizalfos in this rain is a death sentence." 

"That Lynel thing then? It's one or the other, my friend. I won't stay idle when I could be helping." 

"That's madness too. Lin, my friend, please don't... But you will, won't you?" Sidon sighs. "The instant I leave you alone you will do something stupid. I should... I need to go see my father. Please come with me and we'll see with him what can be done?" 

That sounds like a plan to force him to take time and rethink his hasty decision, but Link decides to allow it. If the king and his son try to stop him, the throne room is so open it's easy to escape. Then he'll just find a zora to tell him where to find that Lynel thing, run there, grab arrows and return as the hero he doesn't want to be.

But no escape will be needed because when Sidon mentions Link's idea of going after the Lynel's arrows, Dorephan approves. 

"A less suicidal plan than sending anyone after the lizalfos," the king says. "And from what I've heard from Bazz, you are a very capable fighter. Not that you'll need to fight. I understand the Lynel practices archery all over its territory and its shock arrows are there for the grabbing?" 

Dorephan looks at his son who nods gravely.

"It was so last time I was up there," Sidon confirms. "Someone stealthy enough could easily grab a couple dozens. But how will Lin get there? Even in dry weather it's a long climb. Unless..." 

Sidon and his father exchange a silent look that feels to Link like a whole conversation is happening before him. 

"Only up the waterfall," Dorephan says after a few moments in a stern voice. "You know how dangerous that beast is and I will not have unnecessary risks taken." 

"We'll be careful," Sidon promises. "When may we go?" 

"Send Bazz and Muzu my way to organise our efforts in case our hylian friend fails, then hasten away. Time is short." 

Sidon nods and turns away, motioning for Link to follow him again. The hylian does, baffled as to what just happened. He thinks he understands, but that can't be right... 

"What happens now?" he asks, hoping to be wrong. 

"Now I tell Muzu and Bazz that they have been summoned by their king, and then you and me will head to Ploymus Mountain. You've never met a Lynel before, is that right?" 

Link shakes his head. Even the word isn't familiar, so the dead boy never encountered one of those either. 

"Then I'd better start explaining what they are." 

It was one thing to see Gruve and other zoras swim up a waterfall. It's another one to experience it for himself. Link has to cling tight to Sidon's neck to avoid being swept away by the strong currents or thrown away by the zora's powerful strokes. By the time they are up the second of the three waterfalls, Link can't feel his fingers anymore from how strongly they were locked around Sidon's neck. 

Not that he disliked it. Feeling Sidon's raw power was an experience for sure. And however briefly, it was nice to be close to someone again. He's missed cold night were Meep and him had to huddle for warmth, evenings where she'd sit close and teach him her language. He misses Meep in general and having a friend at his side, so Sidon is a good replacement for the moment. And that's all the prince is, Link tells himself. A stand-in for the friend he's had to leave behind. Nothing more. 

Eager to distract himself from unwanted thoughts, Link looks around. It's a beautiful view of Zora's Domain from up there, the place shining bright in the darkness. If he had any artistic talent, he'd want to make a picture of it. 

Much closer to where he stands, on the side of the final waterfall before the summit of Ploymus Mountain, Link spots another shiny thing. It is one of those large historical steles that the zoras seem so fond of, judging by the way they've put them all around the Domain. 

Time is precious, but Link can't help his curiosity and Sidon needs a moment to rest. The stele is more recent than the ones he's seen on his way to Zora's Domain, the letters still sharp. The story told is one Link has heard before, back in Lurelin. A zora prince and a giant octorok... But now the prince is given a name. Link grins at Sidon when the zora joins him. 

"So that was you? Most people in Lurelin think it's just a fairy tale. Before coming here I wasn't even sure zoras were real." 

"You're not the first one to wonder what lies beyond the sea, my friend," Sidon chuckles. "I was young and I had just finished my growth spurt at a _ much _earlier age than most, so I wanted to prove myself. Needless to say when my father heard of what had happened I wasn't allowed to leave the Domain again. Not until recent events, at least." 

The realisation that Sidon knows nothing of the world outside of Zora's Domain is an odd one. The prince looks and acts as if he's led an active life, his people revere him as a hero... But there's an innocence to him too, or else he would never have trusted Link. 

"Maybe you can go there again once this business with Ruta is over," Link suggests. "I've never seen any giant monsters over there so you can tell your father it's safe." 

"If I went back I'd need a guide. Someone local, maybe?" 

"I'm not local but if I'm around I'll show you a few fun spots." Link offers. Then, because it's just so fun to tease Sidon, he adds: "You know, there's a pool where you can meet your true love. Better not go to that one together, hm?" 

As he hoped, Sidon's cheeks immediately colour. Someday Link will have to ask how that works because zoras shouldn't blush like hylians... But regardless of the process, it is very fun to watch.

Without surprise, Sidon changes the subject after that, insisting they should tackle the last waterfall and enter the lynel's territory. 

The instant they touch land after the final waterfall, Link can tell something is different about this place. There's a smell in the air so strong that Link can taste it, something wild and powerful and magical. Sidon was not joking when he warned him that Lynel are dangerous. 

"You are not to engage the beast in combat," the prince reminds him, one hand on Link's shoulder. "Grab what arrows you can and come back to me. Twenty should be enough. Less than that even if you think you are at risk of being spotted. But return to me, my friend, and return whole."

"I'll be fine," Link promises with a confidence he doesn't quite feel. "I've fought worse than that." 

"The point is _not_ fighting anything." 

"Right. Well, I've avoided worse than that too." 

Sidon doesn't exactly look convinced and Link is half sure that if he asked, the prince would come with him. It's more tempting than it should be. Facing danger with someone at his side is better than doing so alone. But he reminds himself of what happened when he took Meep somewhere dangerous, and the temptation is gone. He's killed Mipha, he can't kill her brother too. 

Alone, Link goes on. It doesn't take long for him to find the first few arrows stuck in a tree. The darkness of the night helps because their magically infused head have a slight yellow glow that makes them easy to spot. That same head is oddly shaped, larger than that of normal arrows, but doesn't add weight to them. 

Licking them is a bad idea because it makes his tongue numb for a few minutes, but Link can't regret it because he had to know. Their taste is metallic, with that disgusting undertone of magic he expected. 

With three arrows stored in the slate, Link looks around for more and spots some stuck in another tree. He runs that way, forgetting about the need for sneakiness until he hears a roar coming from further up. 

Nothing Sidon said could have prepared him for that encounter with a Lynel. The beast is enormous, at least as tall as Sidon but larger, with a red mane that looks almost black in the moonlight, large fangs and claws as well as four powerful horse legs that look stronger than those of any actual horse Link has seen to date. It is fearsome and dangerous and it is absolutely not friendly looking with the many weapons on his back, but Link has to try anyway because that would be a great ally to have. 

"**Hello friend!** " he shouts to the creature. " **I come in peace!**" 

The Lynel stomps and roar. 

"**Thief!** " it accuses, " **It steal the arrows. It dies!**" 

Too quick for Link to react, the creature takes his bow and aims a shock arrow at the sky. So it's bad at aiming, Link thinks, seconds before the arrow hits him, killing him instantly. 

When he blinks, he's back at the moment when the Lynel spotted him. Link tries to run away, but he doesn't go far before an arrow hits him again and he's brought back to that same moment. There's no talking his way out of this, and that blasted monster is a little too good with its bow so keeping his distance won't work. 

Link hastily puts away the sheikah slate and runs again, this time toward the Lynel. It looks stunned that something so small could be so stupid, giving Link a chance to slash at it. It can't have happened to it very often because it roars in shock and rage and tries to bite down at the miserable little creature that dared to wound it. Link scrambles to the side, throwing himself to the ground to avoid being slapped away like a fly. 

The Lynel turns and raises its sword but Link manages to jump to his feet and narrowly avoids that too, feeling air move against his face as the blade comes a little too close. The Lynel roars in anger and goes away, stopping after a dozen meters and hunching down close to the ground. It would look ridiculous if it didn’t let it charge at Link with great speed. Again Link has to throw himself at the ground to avoid being hit, bruising his hip as he falls.

Disoriented, he doesn't get up in time to avoid the next attack that hits his chest just as he was trying to stand away, sending him flying to the side. Link can hardly breathe and knows he has several broken ribs because that’s something the dead boy has experienced before. So there he is, collapsed on the ground, in enough pain that he’s not sure he can get up again. The next attack is sure to kill him because the Lynel has raw strength unlike anything he's ever encountered. He hears the creature roar and sees it raise its sword as it readies a final attack. That’s going to hurt, but if he dies he’ll be sent back and hopefully this time he’ll be better at evading the beast.

"Stop!" Comes a shout at the other end of the clearing. "Take on someone your own size, servant of Ganon!" 

What little breath Link still has is knocked away when he sees Sidon standing defiantly over there, sword in hand. 

"**Both of you thieves will die**," the Lynel roars, taking its bow once more and aiming at the sky in Sidon's direction. 

Forgetting all pain, Link gets on his feet and without thinking he jumps on the Lynel's back. The creature roars with rage at being mounted like a horse but Link holds onto its mane with one hand, his sword in the other. He starts stabbing the creature's back, both of them screaming in fury and pain until one of Link's strikes is luckier than the others and hits a vein, making the beast’s blood spill like a fountain. With a last rattle the Lynel finally stills. Link barely has time to hop off before the monster crumbles to the floor, dead. 

On his knees, Link tries to catch his breath. That was a lot more effort than he would have expected, and he sees better why Sidon was so worried about sending him against that creature. 

Speaking of which, Sidon is running towards him and Link can't decide if he's furious that the zora put himself at risk, or relieved to see him untouched. To imagine Sidon being hit by the discharge that killed him earlier is unbearable, something that might compare to the pain he felt when he lost Meep. 

Anger wins over relief. 

"You were supposed to wait near the waterfall!" Link snarls at his friend. "It could have killed you!" 

"It was going to kill _you_," Sidon retorts as his crest darkens, matching Link's anger. "You were supposed to avoid confrontation! What was I supposed to do when I heard the creature roar?" 

"I had the situation under control!" 

"It was about to trample you, that's not control! I saved you!" 

"Well next time, don't!" Link explodes, forcing himself to stand up even though it is a torture on his damaged chest, poking a finger at Sidon's stomach. "You don't know what I can handle! I'd have survived that. I've survived worse!"

An empty boast when the only worse thing he's faced is the guardian that killed the dead boy, but Link can't explain the truth, and the terror of having that Lynel look at Sidon still courses through his vein. It's too easy to be reminded of another red body, cold and lifeless by his fault. He can't go through that again.

"I only wanted to help," Sidon insists, more subdued. "The thought of you dying is... an unpleasant one. I do not idly call you my friend, though I know you feel differently." 

"You _ are _ my friend," Link protests, horrified to realise he _ means _it. It's been hard enough to live with Meep's well-being on his mind, and now he'll have to worry about Sidon too? "And I don't want to see you dead either. Just... trust me when I say I'm sturdier than I look."

Sidon sighs and kneels down to be at Link's level. "Will you let me look at your wound at least?" he asks, bring one hand to Link's chest but stopping short of actually touching him. "I don't even know how you're standing." 

That's actually a good question. As the fear of seeing Sidon mauled to death recedes, the pain returns. All this could have been avoided if Sidon had just let Link be killed by the Lynel and be brought back to an earlier moment. At the same time, without that rage and despair and worry for the zora, he's unsure he would have had the strength to kill that monster. 

Speaking of which. They came here for a reason. 

"Arrows first, healing later," Link decides, pushing away Sidon's hand. 

His legs tremble under him as he takes the few steps to the Lynel's corpse, and he falls to his knees as he reaches his destination. The wild stench of the beast doesn't help his breathing troubles, but a quick search gets him two dozen show arrows and a huge bow that's a little two heavy for him, but so much better than the zora bows for a similar weight. Out of his reach he sees also the beast's sword, a large block of metal with one end sharpened and now stained with fresh red blood. His own, Link realises, looking down at his shirt to find it stained and torn.

It really would have been better to be killed and sent back. 

"I think we really need to get you to a healer," Sidon insists as he joins Link, sitting next to him. "You are... losing blood, my friend." 

Perhaps Sidon is right, because Link can't even find the strength to get up again. As if they have time to lose when any drop of rain could be the one that will make the reservoir overflow. This is what he gets for wanting to play at being a hero when he's even less qualified than the dead boy was. 

"I still need to..." 

"You've done enough for now," Sidon cuts him, scooping Link up in his arms as if he weighs nothing and rising up. "The rest will wait until your life is no longer in danger." 

Link tries to protest, but he doesn't even have the strength to struggle. He doesn't really want to anyway because the last of the fight's energy has left him and he can feel all the pain and exhaustion it caused. He is gasping for breath, the sensation too similar to the dead boy's end for comfort, but unlike the boy Link isn't alone. There are strong arms holding him close and a worried but gentle voice encouraging him to hold on, promising to get him help. 

Everything hurts but Link feels safe. Sidon won't allow anything to happen to him, Link can trust him with his life. 

His last thought before passing out is a silly regret: he didn't have time to find out what lynel meat tastes like.


	15. Vah Ruta

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for: above canon typical depictions of violence

Link takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. The blue glow, combined with the uncertainty of where he is, has him frozen for a second. This is too bright to be the shrine of resurrection though, the air is too fresh. When he sits up, Link realises he's back at the inn and he wonders if he dreamt everything that happened on Ploymus Mountain. His chest doesn't even hurt but there's a new, fresh mark on top of the large scar left by the guardian who ended dead boy's life. Not a dream then, and he can't have been out for too long because Zora's Domain is still there in spite of the rain. 

"I see our patient is already better," a voice both familiar and strange says. It belongs to an old zora with dark red skin who, oddly enough for his kind, wear green fabric around his neck. The mark of a priest, the dead boy informs Link, which both of them could have done without. "That went faster than I would have expected." 

"Well, you wouldn't know much about hylians I suppose," Link jokes, trying to cover his chest with the sheets. 

"Or perhaps you're no ordinary hylian," the old zora retorts. "As though I could ever forget that face, master Link, even after a hundred years." 

So this is one of Mipha's knights. Link has met another one, an irritable old fellow named Trello who tried to attack him on sight. That time Sidon has been there to correct the mistake, but right now it's just Link and that old zora. 

"You are mistaken," Link says as calmly as he can. "I've been told often that I look like that knight of old only more handsome, but actually..." 

"Yes, his majesty the prince already told me this," the old zora cuts him with an amused smile. "You even fooled the king, apparently. I do not know what game you are playing, master Link, and frankly I do not care. So long as you help protect the Domain and follow the will of the Goddess, I suppose the rest doesn't matter." 

That's Kapson, the dead boy tells Link. Perhaps the only person he had ever met to share his blind devotion to Hylia. He hadn't been a priest back then, but that he became one is no surprise. To be recognised with such certainty by Kapson of all people... 

"Don't tell anyone," Link begs, hating that it means admitting Kapson figured him out. "I don't want anyone to know. I don't want another Mipha." 

Technically it's not even a lie. Mipha died because she was involved in this mess. She would have piloted Vah Ruta even if the dead boy hadn't been chosen by the Goddess, but perhaps without his life at stake she would have been more careful, or perhaps a better hylian champion would have more easily defeated Ganon. Mipha died because of him. Sidon nearly did too, but at least Link managed to protect him. 

"The will of the hero is the will of the Goddess," Kapson simply replies. "I am only a humble retired priest and this material world no longer concerns me. I resent what was done to our lady Mipha, not the person who unknowingly pushed her to her end. Besides I know you will soon right your wrongs. Prince Sidon asked that you join him before his sister's statue as soon as you are well enough. The time has come for you to fulfil your fate, chosen hero."

That little speech almost has Link reach for the slate and teleport to Lurelin, just to prove that the Goddess holds no power over him. If the situation weren't so dire, if he hadn't gotten to like Sidon, Laflat, Finley and so many others... His mistake was to get attached, and now he has to play his part no matter how much both him and the dead boy hate it. 

"Then I'd better not make him wait," Link grumbles, putting on the ruined remains of his shirt. 

Someone tried to clean it but the blood stayed so it's just dirty and damp, with a large gap in the middle. Going shirtless would make little difference at this point, but Link quickly rejects the idea. It's easier to ignore the mark death left on him when it's covered, however imperfectly. At least his hood is intact and if he drapes the cloak over his shoulder it hides what his tattered shirt can't. It's an odd look, but thankfully zoras don't know what much about hylian fashion. 

As Kapson told him, Link finds Sidon under Mipha's statue in the Domain's main square. That square is oddly quiet and empty even though it can't be more than mid afternoon judging by what little light filters through the clouds. Link wonders if the zora have started evacuating, and where they've gone if that's the case. 

Sidon's face light up in relief when he sees Link approaching, and he gives the hylian a long, tight hug that shouldn't feel so comforting. 

"I was so fearful you would not make it," Sidon confesses as he lets go. "You had lost so much blood... But it seems Kapson's elixirs were potent enough to save you. How do you feel, my friend?" 

"I feel ready to save your home," Link announces, taping the shock arrows at his waist. "We're going to stop Vah Ruta!" 

The hopeful grin on the prince's face twists Link's stomach in a way that's not wholly unpleasant. Just as it wasn't bad to be carried in his arms. Link isn't sure anymore that Sidon and him are just playing a game, and he doesn't mind that as much as he should. It felt good yesterday to call him a friend and mean it, even if it’s exactly what got him into that messy position in the first place.

"You and I as a team," Sidon agrees, grabbing a bundle from the side of his sister's statue. 

"What's that?" Link asks, pointing at it. 

"Not here," Sidon replies with a quick glance around. "I'd rather we were not seen with it. I'll give it to you at the reservoir. Let's go?" 

Link follows the prince out of the city and up the stairs that went to the top of the reservoir. The water has risen so high that it flows over the higher steps, forcing them to move carefully as they reach the top. Even the platform meant to be used to check on the lake is flooded, enough so that Link has water inside his boots.

And in the middle of the lake, Vah Ruta awaits, large and glowing red. Its lights used to be blue, Link idly remembers. It was the colour of the Goddess. He doesn’t like blue so much now, but he’s not terribly fond of this gloomy red either. It’s too similar to the light of the blood moon.

"Take this," Sidon says, offering his bundle to Link. "It's a magic armour that can let you swim as well as a zora. With it you can even go up a waterfall!" 

"Oh, that'd have been nice last night!" Link claims, greedily grabbing the present. "You wouldn't have needed to be in danger at all." 

"And _you'd_ be dead, my friend. Come, put it on." 

Link shrugs, knowing too well that death is as best an inconvenience at this point, and removes his cloak and the remains of his shirt, turning away so Sidon won't see his scar. 

And yet, the zora gasps in shock. 

"That scar on your chest continues on your back?" Sidon realises with horror. "What... What could have caused that?" 

His lungs, carved out by the blast, his heart gone, blood draining fast. And with what little breath he still had, a curse fuelled by anger and betrayal; _his_, and that of all the other heroes who like him had been set to fail. A man with the mind of a child, a fairy at his side, knowing he had been used and played with. A boy who sympathised for the wrong side and was swept by a flood. A shepherd forced into combat who turned against the Goddess so he could follow the one he loved into a world of shadows. Others too, who had been destroyed for not being as obedient as She had demanded. Their conjoined rage channelled into his dying breath, doing what had never been done before. 

"It was a stupid accident," Link shrugs. "Not even worth talking about." 

For a brief second he feels Sidon's hand on his back, touching the scar. Link hurries to put the new armour on his head and pulls it down, only to find himself stuck with his arms up when the tight fabric won't roll down like normal materials would. 

"Help," he grunts. "Your armour doesn't like me." 

"Not _my_ armour," Sidon replies with a forced chuckle, pulling gently on the stretchy fabric to help it come down. "My sister made this for someone. Father will be furious if he discovers I borrowed it, but... Neither my sister nor her friend are around anymore while _ you _need it tonight. "

There's something in Sidon's voice, in the way his fingers linger a little too long on the fabric before he starts helping Link attach the silvery ornaments, that breaks the hylian's heart. This armour is more precious than Sidon is telling him, he guesses, and it is more than just a magical gift to a friend. After all it fits him perfectly, which means it could have been intended for the dead boy. 

A very late birthday present then. 

At Sidon's suggestion, Link kicks off his trousers and boots, drops his cloak so it'll be easier to swim. He must look ridiculous with just underwear, the slate's pouch, that elaborate top, a handful of sparkly arrows and the Lynel's bow, but Link doesn't care and jumps in the water with Sidon. 

"Here we go!" Sidon says as Link paddles closer. "Gaze now upon the divine beast's back! Do you see those glowing, pink orbs ?" 

If he squints, Link can spot two pink glowy things on the Beast's side. Two more must be on the other side. 

"You will need to shoot each of them with a shock arrow," Sidon explains. "With your zora armour, you now have the ability to ascend waterfalls. So I shall take you right up to the side of the divine beast, and from there you can swim up and take aim! I know you can do it! I believe in you!" 

Suddenly that sounds like a very stupid plan. How is he supposed to shoot at anything while he's up in the air? He can't aim a bow while holding the glider, he's tried that. Even Meep didn't manage it.

And yet he can do it. Or at least, the dead boy could. There's a confidence coming from deep within, telling him he's done stranger things than this. _Someone_ taught him to. An excuse to spend time together and show off. Something he only understood too late was a way of flirting, though he didn't mind as much as he should have when he did realise.

"Fine," Link says between gritted teeth. "I'm ready. Let's do this." 

"Let's get going!" Sidon answers, helping him climb on his back. 

When the zora speeds up, Link nearly falls backward. He knows from their adventure on Plymous Mountain that Sidon is a powerful swimmer, but such speed is unexpected. The prince never ceases to surprise and amaze him. 

But as they get closer to the Divine Beast, someone stirs in the machine, much as it did when Link tried to board it before. It lets out a deafening cry and manifests a block of ice that it hurls as them, narrowly missing them. 

"Ruta is responding to our presence!" Sidon shouts, as if it weren't obvious enough. "I'll move away and wait for an opening before we approach! I'll keep going at full speed! It's up to you to ward off Ruta's attacks! Are you ready?" 

"No," Link shouts back. "But let's do this anyway!" 

Ruta sends another block of ice. Link can’t help but notice its soft blue glow, and the odds carvings on its sides. It's eerily similar to the ones created by the sheikah slate. Yet Link doesn't dare use it around Sidon, because now less than ever can he take the risk of being recognised. Instead Link tries to counter the ice using a zora shield he borrowed, but the block is hard enough that the shield breaks on impact, nearly making him lose balance. 

Again there’s the temptation to use the slate, the certainty that it’s what he’s _meant_ to do… but Link refuses to give in to Hylia’s little game, not until he’s tried to do things his own way. Pulling out a sword that he also borrowed from the zora, Link waits until another block of ice is sent their way. He manages to divert a second cube of ice by slashing at it and disrupting its course, and nearly crows in victory. His joy is short lived when another block is immediately hurled their way. That one he fails to hit in time and instead it hits him in the chest, the impact so brutal it kills him. 

"It's up to you to ward off Ruta's attacks! Are you ready?"

Link needs a second to recover, still feeling the crushing of his ribs, the way his lungs were pierced by shards of bones. He just barely manages to divert the first block, but he’s a little more confident for the second. The third eludes him though, he swings his sword just a little too early and misses it. The block, however, doesn’t miss him and he dies again.

"It's up to you to ward off Ruta's attacks! Are you ready?"

Everything happens as before. Link can divert the first two blocks but the third one hits. It’s the same pain, the same short agony. Crushed bones, torn lungs, that brief asphyxia before his last breath. 

"It's up to you to ward off Ruta's attacks! Are you ready?"

Again Link handles the first two blocks. Those two are so easy to send away he could do it with his eyes closed. Yet when Link sees the third one coming he panics. He’ll die again even though the pain from last time hasn’t fully gone away yet. He’ll die and die and die again unless he does something. Without thinking, Link jumps off from Sidon’s back, just in time to avoid the block of ice.

Instead it’s Sidon who is hit by it, Sidon who cries out in pain as the block nearly tears away half of his crest and leaves a bleeding gash on his back.

“Go!” Sidon screams at him, struggling to stay afloat. “It’s too strong, I’m sorry! Go, _save yourself!_” 

Link should run away, use the slate and warp to safety. But the sight of Sidon so gravely wounded, the blood, the certainty the prince will die if he’s left alone...Link swims closer to Sidon and grabs him by the arm, trying to pull him to safety even though he’s barely good enough at swimming to keep himself from drowning. But Sidon can’t die, he can’t lose _another_ friend.

It doesn’t matter in the end because distracted by Sidon’s state, Link doesn’t see another block of ice coming at him. He just feels his head exploding with pain when it smashes into it.

"It's up to you to ward off Ruta's attacks! Are you ready?"

Enough messing around, Link decides, clenching his fists. He'll play by the rules if that's the only option. 

"I'm going to do something and you can't look!" he shouts at Sidon, grabbing the sheikah slate inside its pouch. "No matter what happens, _ don't _look at me!" 

Raising the slate, Link aims it at the fast approaching ice block and blasts it with cryonis, just as Meep and him did dozens of times when they were bored and near some water. The second block is dealt with as easily and, to Link's relief, so is the third one. 

No more blocks come their way. Sidon sees their chance and accelerates towards one of the waterfalls. It's utter madness but Link trusts in his friend and jumps in the stream of water. Instantly the magic of the armour takes over, letting him glide up in the water as easily as Sidon would and projecting him up in the air when he's swum all the way up. 

For a second Link panics, wanting to take the glider out of the slate even though Sidon will _ see _him do that. 

A second and then he calms down. A voice from dead boy's past tells him to feel for the flow of time around him which makes no sense but Link does feel it and when he focuses, he can stop it, just as he was shown so many years ago. Not long, it takes too much effort... But long enough to slow his fall, grab his bow, and shoot one shock arrow at the orb under him that instantly lights up. 

Time returns to normal and Link falls down into the water where Sidon quickly picks him up. 

"Wow that was astounding! My friend, I knew you could do this! Do you feel ready for the next ones?" 

"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's do this, my little prince !" 

It's not hard after that. Vah Ruta tries again to hurl blocks of ice at them, but it's incredibly _ easy _to destroy them now that Link is using the slate and Sidon doesn't even try to check how he's doing it. He trusts Link. And why wouldn't he when they're doing so great? 

Soon enough the last orb is charged by a shock arrow and Link shouts in victory. One arrow for each orb means he still has a few to spare, and just as they hoped Ruta's mechanism springs back to life. 

"Lin look! The water sprouting from Vah Ruta has slowed down!" Sidon exclaims, turning to smile at Link who barely has time to put away the sheikah slate. "We did it, we saved the Domain! We... What's that?" 

As it stops pouring water in the air, Vah Ruta appears to raise somewhat, revealing previously hidden parts. What Sidon is pointing at is a newly emerge platform situated some meters under a large door into the Beast. The platform is too low to reach that entrance, but if it were to rise... 

"We have to check it," Sidon decides, swimming that way without waiting for Link's opinion. "It could be our chance to stop Ruta for good!" 

"That wasn't the plan!" Link tries to protest. "It could be dangerous!" 

"Not with you by my side," Sidon retorts, stopping near the platform. "I could walk into Hyrule Castle without fear if you were with me, my friend." 

"Then you're an idiot," Link hisses glaring first at Sidon, then at the platform. 

It looks inviting. Too inviting. As if the Divine Beast somehow knew who was there... And perhaps it does. It is sheikah technology, just like the shrine, and _they_ react to the slate so why not Ruta too? 

"Fine, perhaps Hyrule Castle would be a bit much," Sidon concedes with a shrug that jolts Link. "But I do believe nothing could happen to me at your side. You handled everything just fine so far!" 

Sidon, wounded and bleeding, telling him to get away. Meep, cold and unmoving.

"I can't handle shit," Link grumbles. "And I don't want to touch that thing. It's... wrong. _ Corrupted _. It belongs to Ganon now, doesn't it?" 

"Then let's take it back!" Sidon insists. "We calmed Ruta for now, sure, but for how long? And will you be there again to help if it goes wild once more? Please, my friend, I would not ask for this if it weren't important. I need to protect my people, and I cannot do it without you." 

It's those damn golden eyes that do it, Link decides. Sidon is good at this game because when he looks at Link like that, the hylian wants to be as good as the prince needs him to be. And maybe... 

They do make a good team, don't they? Things went a little awry against the Lynel for sure, but right now they stopped Vah Ruta without much damage once Link understood how to proceed. And Sidon is right, they don't know how long they have until Vah Ruta runs out of power and threaten the Domain again. They can protect each other, because that's what _ friends _do. 

Link has let all of his friends die so far, but with Sidon it'll be different. 

"If I die it's on you," Link grunts as he jumps on the platform.

He instantly regrets it when the platform starts shaking under his feet. Sidon gasps and tries to climb on it, only for a screen of light to appear and project him away, just as it did for Link some weeks before. Feeling the platform rise under him Link tries to jump but that light which kept Sidon out is keeping him in. 

"Sidon!" he screams, banging his fists against the invisible barrier. Link wants to beg for help, for Sidon to come and rescue him... But that's not happening, is it? He is the hero and this is his _ fate _. "Get away!" he shouts, hoping the prince can hear him. "I'll handle it, just get away, get to safety !" 

He watches Sidon hesitate, sees him swim away, turning back a few times. It's for the best. This is his burden, his mistake. 

Link should never have come close to this blasted beast, but he's here now and he'll fight his way to freedom. 

As Link suspected, the platform stops when it reaches that large opening, letting him see what's inside Vah Ruta. First though there's a pedestal, another blasted piece of sheikah technology for him to activate, so he does. It doesn't do anything though. When he tries to look at the map of the sheikah slate, hoping to teleport outside, he finds it blank. 

He is stuck in there, with no idea what to do, no one to guide him. Nothing but the mechanical noises of the Divine Beast. 

First we need to find the map, says a voice from within. It's right there, enter and go left where there's another pedestal. Mipha showed him once. She was so proud of her Divine Beast. 

Link freezes. It's a bad idea to let the dead boy out. For weeks he's had to shut him up because everything about Zora's Domain makes the ghost nostalgic. If Link starts listening to this boy who should have been him, will he manage to silence him again? 

Like he has a choice anyway. For all his melancholy, the dead boy has been here before and that's more than Link can say.

He enters the Beast's body, and the first thing he sees is... living goop. There's no other way to describe it, it looks like black tar brought to life by a mad wizard who, for good measure, made it glow red and gave it an oversized yellow eye that stares at Link. It's not aggressive though. It's just _ staring _. Unnerving, but not actually scary and Link can easily skirt around it. The eye doesn't even turn around to follow him. 

And Link must wonder. It looks a bit like thick jam. It's not appetising, not even by Link's very twisted standards, but maybe... 

He doesn't even get to finish that thought before the dead boy is _ screaming _ inside his mind, as loud and desperate as he was when the Goddess statue spoke inside the temple of time. This is _ Malice _ , it is evil and corrupted and it is not edible because Link should never, _ ever _touch it. Malice isn't just Ganon's tool, it is part of Ganon himself and that's how he took control of the Beasts and the Guardian. 

Malice is the enemy and it must be _ destroyed _. 

Trusting the dead boy on that, Link takes out his sword and slashes at the only thing that could look like a weak point: the giant eye. It's like slicing through a bladder filled with water, and it explodes with a disgusting sulphuric smell that confirms it really isn't something Link should eat. 

There's another blob of Malice around the door where dead boy's memories say the Beast's Map should be. This time the eye is hidden underwater, but one carefully aimed arrow takes care of that. Link wishes Sidon were here to see him look cool and heroic. He wishes Meep were here to remind him he's an idiot who doesn't know what he's doing. He wishes he weren't alone and terrified. 

The map that gets transferred on the sheikah slate has four glowy dots, and it allows for control of Vah Ruta's trunk. Link plays with that a bit, getting an accidental shower in the process, before deciding to investigate the dots. Surely they are important? 

As he explores the Divine Beast and discovers the terminals that should restore control of it, Link feels more and more alone. It's easier to handle the loneliness if he pretends the dead boy is talking to him, so he starts doing that. Dead boy, as far as he can judge, was an uptight bore who always followed the rules, so it's fun to imagine him complaining against everything Link does, from recklessly jumping from too high, to picking up a moblin skull produced by a blob of Malice and giving it a bite. 

_ And this? _ The dead boy would say. _ Will you eat _ that _ skull too? _

"Don't be ridiculous," Link huffs. "That's a bokoblin skull, it'd be like eating Meep. I'm not a barbarian!" 

_ You tried to taste the Malice _. 

"Yeah, and it wasn't a friend. Now stop bothering me and find the way to the next terminal." 

Little by little, puzzle after puzzle, Link activates all the terminals. Instead of being rewarded with full control of Vah ruta, he sees a new spot appear on the map, near the Beast's entrance. It's the Plateau all over again, challenge after challenge only to change the rules without warning and ask for more and more, just to see how compliant he can get. Sounds just like something the Goddess would do to test his obedience and willingness. If Link had a choice...

But he _ doesn't _have a choice, so he follows the map's indications and enters a room with another terminal, bigger and taller than the previous ones. Main control, dead boy tells him. With this one activated, Vah Ruta is theirs again. It sounds easy enough. 

He walks to that big fat pedestal, expecting to be attacked at any moment. Instead when he steps on the platform, a zora girl appears to him, red as Sidon but far smaller. Still in the middle of her growth spurt, Link remembers. 

"You're here," Mipha says, her voice softer than Link expected. "I must say... That I am so happy to see that this day has finally arrived." 

She smiles, gentle and kind, just as she used to be, and Link drowns in a wave of affection coming from the dead boy. Mipha is more than a friend, she is his _ sister _, caring and kind even when he closed off after being chosen. 

Pushed by the dead boy's emotions, Link takes a step toward his old friend. 

Mipha's smile widen, showing more teeth than it should, the kindness melting away and replaced by something akin to hunger. On her chest a wound opens from which Malice leaks away, slowly covering her until she morphs into a monster that both is and isn't her. 

"You found me too late!" Mipha cries out, her distorted voice echoing around Link. "I needed you one hundred years ago!"

She raises her left arm. A gigantic spear made of blinding blue light appears in her hand. 

"You made me wait so long, and now you mock me by wearing this?" she roars, pointing her weapon at Link's chest. "You will pay for the tears I shed over you!"

The spear pierce Link's chest before he can react, leaving him gasping for breath until he blinks and finds himself back at the room's entrance, having died again. 

It's different this time though. He's not back in time, not the way he's been every time before. Mipha is still there, her blood stained spear in hand, a mad smile on her lips. 

"How do you like my new weapon?" she laughs, hysterical. “So much better than my old trident, isn't it? You know what the best thing is about it?"

She pulls the weapon behind her and throws it at Link with more power than her body should allow, hitting his chest again, pinning him to a wall. 

"It has a very long reach," she giggles, watching him struggle and asphyxiate slowly until again, he is sent back at the rooms door. 

"Isn't this fun?" The monster that is and isn't Mipha asks. "I have suffered so long by your fault and now... Now I get to hurt you too!" 

And she does just that. Time and time again Link is killed by a creature that looks and sounds far too much like his best friend, a thing that delights in reminding him that this is all his fault. He tries fighting back, but he can't get close enough to touch her. He tries giving up, but that just means she gets to kill him more easily. He can't escape either, she blocked the entrance after he tried it once. 

He can hide though, so he does that, running around the terminal and using it as a shield against her spear. 

"Little cowardly champion," the creature taunts him. "You used to be so brave! You used to face everything without fear! Look at you now, cowering from me... Do I really disgust you so much? I _loved_ you! I gave you my heart, gave you my life, and never once did you think of me with the same tenderness! I'll make you regret not loving me when you had the chance!" 

Link runs to avoid the spear while silencing the dead boy's cries of despair at being so hated by one he saw as a second sister. It's the longest Link has gone without dying so far, he's not letting that idiot's guilt and nostalgia put an end to that. At the same time he's getting tired. If only he could find a way to hit the monster without being reached by the spear... 

That's when Link realises he's an idiot. He has that. He has a _ bow _, and a good dozen shock arrows left. Without wasting another second, Link grabs his bow and aims a sizzling arrow at Mipha's head, hitting her eye. She screams in pain and collapse from the electric shock while Link dashes her way, sword in hand. 

Too easily the sword slides into Mipha's ribcage, the zora crying out in pain and shock. The cry turns into a desperate wail when Link pulls out his weapon, thick drops of Malice falling to the floor as her blood should do. Her screams pierce Link's ears, so loud he's tempted to drop his sword to block out the noise. But as more and more Malice flows out of her, her voice changes, echoing less and less until all that's left is her soft tones, gasping for breath. 

Link dares a glance when silence returns. Mipha, back to normal save for a certain ethereal quality to her, smiles and takes a step towards Link.

"Hello Link," she says gently. "Because of your courage, my spirit is now free. And Ruta as well. Thank you." 

He takes a step back. 

"I'm sorry for what the Blight made me say," she sighs, her smile dropping. "It took my darkest thoughts and pushed them forward, but I promise I never hated you, not once." 

She walks to him again and this time Link allows it. Not because he believes in her forgiveness, but because he can feel the dead boy desperately needs to be close to her. He _ loved _her, even if it wasn't in the way she wanted. 

"I know you meant nothing by coming here dressed this way," Mipha says with a gentle touch to his cheek. "You had to get here somehow. Did they tell you... Did my father explain what this armour is?" 

Link shakes his head, not daring to say that Dorephan doesn't even know he has it, that Sidon stole it for him. He had a sister once, he knows to keep that sort of secrets. 

"Then let's pretend there is nothing special about this," Mipha decides with an embarrassed giggle. "It is only a gift from one friend to another. It suits you rather well!" 

After the poisonous words she shouted earlier, it's hard to handle the kindness. She can say what she wants, Link knows she can't have forgiven his failures and coldness so easily.

"Since I am now a spirit my healing power would be wasted on me," Mipha sighs. "I have no need of it. So therefore... I would like you to have it. Please accept... Mipha's grace."

Link wants to protest but his voice is stuck in his throat. It's too late anyway because something warm surrounds him and penetrates his very bones. It's similar to whatever gift the Goddess's statue had forced upon him, and yet it is nothing like it because for a brief second Link feels so _loved_ he could cry. Mipha meant it when she said she never hated him, that the Malice lied. He can feel the full strength of her affections, the extent of her forgiveness, and he only wishes he could tell her how much he's missed her, how sorry he is that he hurt her. 

"Yesterday I was awash in a pool of tears," Mipha says as the warmth of her Grace fades away. "I had nearly given up hope and resigned myself to being trapped here, as a spirit, for the rest of eternity. But now you're here. All this time, my hope was to see you once more. Promise me that you will not hesitate to call upon my power if you ever find yourself in need. Knowing that will let my spirit rest in peace. I must go now. Ruta and I have our roles to fulfill. We are both honoured to play the role of support."

She pauses and smiles, fierce and beautiful and every bit the powerful princess the dead boy was so fond of. She steps closer and grabs Link's shirt to pull him down until she can press her forehead against his. 

"We'll annihilate Ganon together," she promises as light surrounds Link, so bright he has to close his eyes. 

When he opens them again, he's alone on the reservoir's dock. Vah Ruta is gone, and Mipha with him. 

Link isn't alone for long though. He hears his name shouted somewhere close, and in an instant feels himself pulled up by strong arms as Sidon crushes him against his chest. 

"You did it!" the prince exclaims with a smile so wide it must hurt his cheeks. "You freed Ruta, you saved us all! I knew you could do it, my dearest friend!" 

"No thanks to you," Link tries to joke, but his voice isn't fully back and it just sounds bitter and exhausted. 

"I didn't mean to leave you," Sidon protests, tightening his hold on Link as if he might disappear again. "I would have followed you if I could have, please believe me. To think of you alone in that thing, facing the Goddess knows what..." 

Sidon facing the corrupted form of his sister. Sidon being killed by that thing who wasn't quite Mipha. Sidon watching Link murder her. Sidon discovering what sort of a man Link really is and hating him for it. 

It shouldn't matter if Sidon hates him because they're not friends, not really, they're just both playing a game, and yet Link can't bear the thought of Sidon turning away from him. He blames it on whatever Mipha did to him, on the dead boy's sentimentalism, on the way he can’t handle being on his own.

"I know you wanted to stay," he says, trying to smile. 

It's not enough to comfort Sidon who still looks guilty, as if he owed Link anything, as if it's anyone's fault that Ruta rejected him. So Link does the first thing that passes through his mind. He grabs Sidon's side fins to bring down his head and, mirroring Mipha's earlier gesture, he presses their foreheads together. 

The reaction isn't what he expected. Sidon gasps softly, tightening his grasp for a second before pulling back to look into Link's eyes, his own shining oddly, questioning. Link wonders at that when he hasn't done anything odd. Mipha just did it to him and it's just... 

It's a kiss. 

It's how zoras _ kiss _, he remembers in a panic. He's just kissed Sidon. It's stupid and bad and it's pushing their game of manipulation too far and damn, but Sidon is gorgeous with colours shifting on his cheeks and his head tail flapping from how flustered he is. It's cute. It's _fun_.

Maybe Link can push their game a little further, just to see how embarrassed Sidon can get. It’s part of the game, it means nothing, not to either of them. 

"You started this," Link teases, grinning. "Now, my handsome friend, how about we go tell everyone that their home isn't going to be destroyed and we all have a very big party? I'll want some salmon, by the way, so find a way to make that happen."

For a second Sidon hesitates, his arms still tight around Link. For some reason it's tempting to kiss him again, whether in the zora or hylian way. Before Link can act stupid again, the zora puts him back on the ground. 

"My father will be glad to hear the good news," Sidon agrees, his hand on Link's shoulder. "Let's go, my friend." 

They walk towards the stairs that go down to Zora's Domain. 

Sidon's hand remains on Link's shoulder the entire way down, and it shouldn't be as pleasant as it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole 'corrupted mipha' thing was heavily inspired by this post: https://roposhipin.tumblr.com/post/170122067403/sooooooooo-what-about-a-revali-all-the-other
> 
> I had been wanting to put it in a fic since seeing it and finally, this story gave me a chance!!


	16. Lake Toto

Just as they step on the bridge that attaches Zora's Domain to the surrounding lands, Sidon stops Link and hands his old shirt, his trousers and his faithful cloak. 

"It might be better if you're not seen wearing this," Sidon explains, pointing at the magical armor, the only thing Link is wearing aside from his briefs.

"Right, right. Because you stole it from your dad," Link jokes, pretending he can't still hear the rage in Mipha's corrupted voice when she noticed the armour. "Someone has been a little naughty, hm?" 

Sidon grimaces, colours shifting on his face. "My father would be the least angry of the lot. If Muzu knew I gave it to you... He's a good man but sometimes he forgets we have to keep on living, even without Mipha. And then the others are worse... So I'm sorry my friend, but I must ask you to change " 

"That's twice today you're making me undress," Link teases, pulling on the stretchy fabric to remove it. "Very shameful behaviour for a prince." 

Sidon laughs, and starts helping Link before he gets stuck in that stupid blue shirt that clings to him like a second skin now that it's wet. 

"I wonder what's more shameful?" Sidon asks as they get the thing off of Link. "Me who keeps asking, or you who never refuses? After all clothes are important in _your_ culture, not mine. But perhaps you enjoy being naked before me?" 

It's Link's turn to blush. How _dare_ Sidon turn his joking against him? He's the one in control of this game. Except he's reminded of other conversations. No red scales, dark feathers instead, but a similar pride and cockiness... Those are the dead boy's emotions though, and it has nothing to do with what he's playing with Sidon. 

"I don't attach much importance to clothes," he claims as he hastily puts on his shirt, which isn't a full lie. 

He's hung out with Meep too long to care about showing skin. At the same time, he doesn't like the curiosity in Sidon's eye when he catches another glimpse of the scar on his chest. Everyone knows the chosen hero is dead, but Link has heard people who hope for his return. It's not just the slate that could betray him. Scars like his can't be too common. 

And while Sidon cannot know his face, the Elders can, so Link puts on his cloak, carefully hiding his face as he's done for weeks now. Being recognised by Kapson was enough of a fright, and a reminder that he shouldn't linger in the Domain too long. He's gotten what he wanted after all: the confirmation that there's no escaping by sea. 

For now though, he follows Sidon toward the throne room. The few zoras that hadn't yet evacuated the Domain gather around them, asking about the end of the rain, about the red light in the sky, pointing toward Hyrule Castle. Each time Sidon reassures them, explaining Vah Ruta isn't a menace anymore, that he needs to report to his father. Link can say all he wants about not caring, but there's something about seeing their relief... He didn't want to do this, and yet he's _glad_ that he did. Just this time, he decides, the Goddess can have her way. 

Still it's embarrassing to arrive in front of King Dorephan and hear Sidon give a somewhat embellished version of their little adventure. Of course the prince is careful not to mention the magical armour, but he also doesn't speak of his attempt to join Link on Vah Ruta's platform. Perhaps he is ashamed to have been rejected by the Beast... Though in all honesty, Link suspects it's because Dorephan wouldn't have wanted his son to go inside Ruta and the prince knows it. Losing one child to it was already too much. 

When Sidon finishes his short tale, Dorephan turns to Link who lowers his head to better hide his face. There's no blood nor mud to hide his features this time, and Dorephan knew the dead boy well. 

"Lin! You did well to survive your trial!" the king congratulates him, sounding too much as if, all along, he expected him to calm the Divine Beast. If he guessed... But then he wouldn't use that fake name, would he? "I have been awaiting your return! The violent downpour has disappeared as has the threat to Zora's Domain!" 

He pauses and smiles, looking behind Link. When the hylian glances behind, he sees a small crowd of zoras have gathered in the throne room. Some he knows, and some the dead boy knew. They all look at him with a gratitude that's starting to make him uneasy. He saved them, sure, but he didn't _ want _to, so they shouldn't be thankful. He doesn't _deserve_ it. 

"It is all little more than a bad dream now," Dorephan tells his people, before turning his attention back to Link. "Thanks to your efforts, there is no longer any danger of a great flood laying waste to Hyrule! You appeased the Divine Beast Vah Ruta and thusly saved zora's domain! We are all truly grateful! What you did for us is more than we could have expected of you."

Link grimaces, glad his face is mostly hidden under the shadow of his hood. How to explain that he's no hero? He only tried to stop Vah Ruta because not doing it would have been criminal, and then he only freed the Beast from Ganon because it was either that or being trapped inside it for ever. 

Before he can try to explain he's not the sort of man Dorephan wants him to be, Muzu steps forward. 

"Hylian... I must sincerely apologise for my harsh treatment of you," the old zora says. "All the members of the council humbly fold our fins back in gratitude, along with the rest of our people. Perhaps the old generation of zoras, myself included, misunderstood hylians after all. It would seem so. That said I would be overjoyed if you could find it in your heart to forgive me. If not now, then perhaps one day. " 

Link stares, speechless. Even in dead boy's days, Muzu never was fond of hylians. They brought troubles with their prophecies and their sheikahs, he used to say. He made an exception for Link, because Mipha left him no choice and because Link so loved to hear his stories when he was little, but even Link's father had to face his dislike. 

It doesn't matter to Link that Muzu doesn't hate him, but it means a _lot_ for the dead boy who would hug the old zora if he could.

"I never felt unjustly insulted by you," Link manages to say with a short bow. "But if you still want my forgiveness, you have it."

Muzu bows back, smiling. If Link could stay in the Domain he'd be tempted to seek out the old zora's company and ask for more tales of history... A good reason to leave as soon as he can then. Muzu is too sharp not to recognise him sooner or later, even with the hood on. 

"And so our heroic friend brings not only safety, but also reconciliation," Dorephan notes with a chuckle. "A most incredible feat! All you are missing is the sword that seals the darkness and you could be a true hero, my hylian friend !" 

"Father, _ please _!" Sidon says in a tone Link doesn't like, because it makes it sound like father and son have had conversations about that. About him. About the sword.

"I know the champion of old cannot be returned to us," Dorephan sighs. "All we can do is hope a new one will rise. Still, Lin, all of the zoras thank you from the depth of our hearts for your heroic and selfless work!... And you too, Sidon."

The prince startles at that, looking up at his father with a puzzled look Link has often seen on his face, usually directed at him. 

"Father?"

"As your father, I am proud of you for fighting the divine beast alongside Link. You have grown much recently. I know you will be a worthy heir when your time comes."

Colours shift on Sidon's face, the compliment such a shock to him that he's left speechless for a moment, his jaw hanging. For the first time in their acquaintance, Link wonders just how old Sidon would be in hylian years. He's assumed that the prince is fully adult, that he'd be in his thirties at least, but right now he feels much younger than that. A more mature prince wouldn’t have been so willing to get near Vah Ruta, so eager to board it.

"Father, I... Thank you!" the prince says as he bows, oddly subdued. 

Dorephan smiles at his son and gestures for him to stand straight. 

"The heavy rains have stopped, and the divine beast is our ally once again! How glorious! Truly splendid!" 

Sidon too smiles, first at his father and then at Link. He steps closer to the Hylian and drops on one knee, grabbing Links hands in his. 

"Lin! Thank you so much! Truly, I could never thank you enough! You helped save our home from vanishing away! This calls for a top tier expression of gratitude!" Sidon looks at the crowd behind Link, grinning. "Zo! Zo ! Ra Ra Ra !" 

The cry, whatever it means, is repeated many times with enthusiasm by all the zoras gathered there, even the older ones, as they clap their hands. It's noisy and joyful and Link wants to tell them to stop because the only reason he helped was that he had no choice. 

Sidon's thumbs gently stroke Link's hands, bringing his attention back to the prince. It's even worse than the crowd's happiness, because Sidon looks at him as if Link were the greatest person he's ever met. 

"With all my heart..." Sidon whispers, barely audible in the cacophony. "Thank you."

Link's heart starts beating harder in his chest, so loud it drowns out everything around them. That stupid prince really is good at this game, and he keeps getting better every time he opens his stupid mouth. 

Feeling a blush creep on his face, Link quickly pulls away his hands, worried his increased heartbeat will be felt and mistaken for a victory by Sidon. Why are they still playing anyway? Sidon already has what he wants, his people are safe. Or does he find it fun to fluster Link, just as the hylian enjoys doing to him? That must be the reason, now that neither of them has anything at stake anymore. 

It's easy to escape the prince after that. Dorephan has ordered for drinks and food to be brought so the zoras who hadn't had time to evacuate can celebrate the safety of their city. Everyone wants to talk to Link, and once the barrels are brought in everyone wants to drink with him. The liquid they serve him has a hint of bitterness, but mostly it heavily tastes of honey and berries. Last time he was there, dead boy wasn't allowed to have any on account of being too young, but nobody seems to worry about Link's age now. He tries not to drink too much anyway. He can't risk getting properly drunk and take the chance of accidentally reveal who he is. Still he gets a slight buzz that's not unpleasant, and it makes it easier to listen to the zoras thanking him for something he wouldn't have done if he'd found a way of avoiding it.

Finley confides she's going to sneak out and send her love letter the second her mother looks away. Rivan wants to take his daughter on a trip somewhere once she's done bringing back the people who took refuge up the hills. Laflat wants to start a program to warn young people against the dual dangers of the Lynel that nearly killed Link, and something she calls Shatterback Point that sounds very fun and very likely to also kill him. It's all pretty nice and perhaps, just perhaps, Link still drank more than he should have. It doesn't matter. The zoras are good people and this is fun and he'll be gone in less than a week, never to return. 

His mood quickly sours when he sees Kapson is approaching, smiling far too smugly. Link turns around, ready to run, only to bump into Sidon who smiles and takes his wrist. 

"I think it's my turn to save you, my friend. Let me get you away from here." 

"My hero!" Link giggles, allowing himself to be dragged away from the party. 

It should worry him that Sidon is taking him away from everyone. It doesn't. He _trusts_ the prince, maybe as much as he would trust Meep. They're playing a risky game of pretences together, faking attraction that can't possibly be there, but somehow there's a real friendship between them in spite of that. It's not just for the Domain that Link resigned himself to confront Ruta; it was for its prince too, and Link doesn't mind following him wherever they're going. 

It's still a surprise when they stop in front of the inn. 

"You looked like you might need some rest," Sidon explains. "It has been a very long day for you, my friend. Don't worry, go get the sleep you more than earned. I'll take care of explaining where you've gone."

"Oh, I think I love you," Link grunts, suddenly feeling exhausted indeed. It's not just Vah Ruta, there was the Lynel before. He wants nothing more than to drop in a bed for a month or two. "Seriously, you're my hero. I'd kiss you if you weren't so damn tall." 

"And I'd let you if you were a little less drunk," Sidon retorts with a grin. "Ask again when you're sober and we'll see about it." 

Link nods, wondering why part of him thinks it's a bad idea. Sidon is fun and he's nice and the game they're playing is fun and kissing? Kissing sounds fun too. 

But he soon forgets about that because the instant he collapses on his bed, Link blacks out. 

Link sleeps for two whole days. He could have slept more if given the chance, but his body demands water and food, so he is forced to wake up. Kodah is more than happy to help with that, before sending her daughter to warn Prince Sidon that their hylian saviour is awake. Finley winks at Link as she goes, hiding a small clay cylinder against her chest. Probably that letter she's been desperate to send for weeks. Link should warn her mother, because there are still lizalfos armed with shock arrows out there... But he trusts her to be careful. Life is short, she deserves to have her little adventure.

At least Finley is mildly obedient because she _ does _send Sidon to the inn. The prince looks relieved to finally find Link awake, and confesses that he was hours away from sending Kapson his way. 

"Then I woke just in time," Link laughs as they exit the inn together. 

It's amazing how different Zora's Domain looks under the sun. The colours are more intense, the architecture more stunning now that the rain doesn't block out Link's vision. And there's more people than before too, the central square is a real hub of activity with people chatting around the stalls of merchants. Link realises that evacuation must have started before he even reached the Domain, but now it is returning to normal. 

"All thanks to you," Sidon says as if he guesses his thoughts. "I know you do not like crowds my friend, but I hope you will still enjoy your stay among us." 

Link can't help but grimace and checks that his hood is hiding his face. More zoras around means more people who might have known the dead boy. Sidon notices of course. 

"I feared as much," he sighs, though he doesn't look very distressed at the idea. "But that's fine. I had planned two separate options for things to do today. I so want to share our kingdom's beauty with you, my friend. That is, if you do not mind?" 

It's a bad, terrible idea to spend time with Sidon. Link vaguely remembers saying and thinking some very stupid things before he fell asleep. Besides, why would Sidon even want his company anymore? The Domain is safe, Ruta is under control. The game should have ended... And yet Sidon is looking at him pleadingly, as if it _matters_ to him whether Link wants to spend time with him. Maybe they really are friends. That sounds both great, because Sidon is so likeable, and terrible because it'll be harder to leave if he has a friend in the Domain. 

"What is it you're suggesting?" 

"There are some ruins in upland Zorana that I think would fascinate you," Sidon explains with an excited grin. "I believe it's an old hylian settlement, but I've never been able to determine that for sure." 

"That sounds... great ?" Link says, unsure why Sidon would want to show him that. 

When he sees his friend's smile fall, it hits him. He's supposed to be a researcher and to love ancient history. Sidon is trying to share something he thinks will interest Link. He's being _ nice _. 

"Oh! Sorry, still waking up," Link apologises. "That sounds great, yeah. A hylian settlement? From before the Calamity?" 

"From long before that," Sidon replies, his smile returning. "I cannot be sure, but I believe it might date back to the days when sea trade was still active. That's your subject of interest, isn't it?" 

"It is. That place, are we far from it?" 

If Link never has to read another trade treaty it'll be too soon, but to see a place where people used to be, one that didn't turn to ruin by his fault... That's a more exciting prospect than it should be. He can afford a few days of fun and exploring before he returns to his quest of escaping this cursed land, can't he? Hopefully losing Vah Ruta will have weakened Ganon, giving him time to have a little fun. 

And if it hasn't, if Ganon is made furious by his loss and destroys them today, he'll die with a friend. 

It's still an intense experience to ride Sidon's back up a waterfall, to hold on so closely to someone so powerful. And perhaps he clings a little tighter than he needs to, just to enjoy that closeness, the freshness of Sidon’s skin against his own. Link is glad to be rid of the armour that apparently meant so much to Mipha and the dead boy, but now he almost wishes he had it so he could swim side by side with Sidon and show off too.

When they arrive on top of the waterfall, Sidon guides Link on a dirt path so old it has been almost entirely reclaimed by nature. It would be invisible if the grass there weren’t a little thinner, but Sidon seems to know the way.

"We can't stray too far, this is lizalfos territory," Sidon explains as they walk. "But the ruins are safe for some reason. I've been here many times, and never seen any monsters there." 

"Well if I were a lizalfos, I wouldn't want to come and bother the giant shark with claws either." 

"But it'd be a bigger mistake to attack a small hylian with a bent sword I reckon," Sidon retorts with a smirk.

"I'm only small compared to zoras." 

Sidon can’t help a chuckle at that. "My friend, I do not wish to offend you, but I have met a few other hylians in my life and the few to be smaller than you were children." 

"So I'm not the only hylian in your life?" Link gasps in mock horror. "And here I thought I was special to you!"

“You certainly are special indeed,” Sidon assures him, his cheeks colouring slightly. “Ah, there we are.”

The ruins promised by Sidon are a stunning sight, half submerged into a small lake. The stone work and the shape of the buildings have nothing to do with the delicate arches and common use of luminous stones in Zora's Domain. It screams hylian, especially when Link runs inside a mostly collapsed building and inspect the size of the room. It'd be cramped for a zora, but for him there's plenty of space. 

"It _ is _hylian!" he exclaims, turning to look at Sidon who smiles at him. "It has to be! But why? It can't have been commercial, this is too hard to reach..." 

"Soldiers," Sidon explains. "At least, that has always been my idea. Lizalfos are an old problem and hylians can deal with them far better than us. Then for a while they were almost entirely eliminated according to our histories, though they never said how. I suppose that's why this fort was abandoned."

Link stops inspecting some crude carvings scratched in a corner. 

"You said this was about sea trade!" he complains, though without heat. "Did you lie to me just to get me alone up here?" 

Sidon laughs and looks away, colours shifting on his face. "I said it was from that era, not that it would be _ specifically _about trade. Isn't it a beautiful place though?" 

It certainly is gorgeous, so Link forgives Sidon for not being fully honest with him. The ruined building in which he stands is the least preserved one, and the one least covered by water. To inspect the rest, Link has to start swimming around, clumsily advancing between walls, pushing against stones or letting Sidon carry him to get to different parts of the submerged fort. 

A few times, Sidon also helps him inspect the underwater parts of the ruins. That's a good deal harder because Link isn't very good at holding his breath, but they keep trying anyway because he enjoys the sensation. Weightlessness and muffled sounds and refracted light and Sidon holding him, keeping him safe and always bringing him back to the surface before he runs out of air. And again there’s that closeness, now mixed with an impulse to continue clinging to Sidon even after getting his breath back.

After a few diving attempts, Link allows himself a break and sits on a wall high enough that only the bottom half his body is still submerged even though they’re at the deepest part of the lake. Since Sidon stays in the water, it allows Link a chance to feel like the taller of the two. He doesn’t dislike that, enjoying this new perspective on the prince. The dots on Sidon’s crest aren’t so visible from Link’s normal height and that’s a shame because they give him an air of refinement. Link wonders if they’d feel different to the touch from the rest of his skin. They look like they would, and it’s hard to resist the impulse to touch them.

"I used to come here often at one point," Sidon confesses after what Link realises was a very long silence. "Especially after the... _ incident _in Lurelin. My father forbade me to leave our territory, and this felt like a compromise."

"Didn't you kill the monster?” Link asks, hoping his friend didn’t catch him staring at the top of his head. “That was pretty heroic, you are a legend back there." 

"How to explain," Sidon sighs. "At the time I had nearly reached my current size, but that had happened much earlier than normal. I was barely in my fifties. I don't know the hylian equivalent, but Finley, who you've met, is already nearly eighty and you've seen how her mother still coddles her. "

Link nods, trying to remember Mipha's age when she died. Probably the same age as Finley. Too young to die, but old enough to make her own choices and risk her life anyway. 

"I can see how your father wouldn't have been too happy in that case." 

"My friend, you don't know the half of it," Sidon chuckles without mirth. "My father is a reasonable man, but he was furious when he discovered I had run away and put myself in danger. Even now that I'm an adult and less reckless, he tends to worry too much. You wouldn't imagine how hard it was for him to let me go look for a hylian to help."

"He'd have good reason for protectiveness when he already lost a child, so..." 

Sidon startles and Link winces, pressing one hand against his mouth. Of all the things he could say... At least Sidon doesn't look angry at him for mentioning his sister. If anything, there's curiosity in his big golden eyes. 

"How was it, inside Vah Ruta?" he asks, swimming closer to the wall until the tip of his crest almost touches the side of Link’s chest. "That is, if you want to talk about it. You do not _ have _to, but I have often wondered..." 

Link forces a smile. Corruption. Death. Loneliness. The smell of sulphur and tar. Red lights. Mipha's smile like a beast growling. Her laughter as he died again and again. Her screams when he stabbed her and killed her. Her words that hurt more than her spear ever could. Pain and regret and despair.

"It sure was something," Link says with a confidence he's far from feeling. "Those sheikahs sure _ love _their puzzles, let me tell you. And, you ever seen Malice? Well, there was plenty of it everywhere, and then I had to fight this giant monster entirely made of it, and..." 

Sidon puts one hand on his shoulder, the side of his thumb brushing against Link's cheek. 

"You don't have to talk about what happened if you don't want to," the prince says gently. "You do not owe me that story, and I'd rather have silence than lies."

Link bites his lip, wondering if Sidon can always tell this easily that he's lying. He _ can't _, of course. With how often Link has been dishonest around him, Sidon would have been a fool to trust him if he could see how dishonest he is. Or was he just desperate enough that a compulsive liar was better than nothing? But in that case, why still be nice, why make such efforts to please Link now that the crisis is over? It makes no sense to still play a game that Sidon has already won, but it makes even less sense to accept this is genuine affection.

"You're an odd one, Sidon," he sighs. 

"You're odder still, my friend," Sidon retorts with a snort. "But your mysteries are part of charm… though I only hope someday you might learn to trust me." 

His hand moves to cup Link's cheek, but it is so big it covers more than half the hylian's head. It should be worrying to be held this way by a being so much bigger than him, but Sidon would never hurt him. Perhaps Link already trusts him. He wants to trust him. How would Sidon react if he knew the truth? 

Not that it matters now. Not when Sidon pulls on Link’s neck to bring down his head, almost pressing his crest to the hylian's forehead, only to stop at the last moment. Link doesn't have his hesitations and brings them together, just to see how that feels. After Vah Ruta he was too shaken to pay attention, but now he can enjoy the slight pressure, the closeness, how Sidon's colder skin quickly warms up against his. 

"You know more about zoras than you'll admit," Sidon whispers, nuzzling his crest against Link's forehead. "You also know what this is, don't you?" 

Link nods, careful to keep the connection. He hasn't seen it often, zoras are private people for all their nakedness and love of open spaces, but he can remember discussions with his zora friends when he was a little boy. 

"Want to try kissing the hylian way?" he asks, unable to help a smirk.

All it took was a shy nod from Sidon for Link to press their lips together. Sidon’s lips weren’t as cool as the rest of his skin but they still were colder than Link’s. He loved that contrast, just as he loved Sidon’s big hands on his neck and back. Link’s hands were on the zora’s crest, petting it, brushing a thumb against those paler spots that had so fascinated him earlier, lightly scratching his nails against Sidon’s head tail and making him shiver.

Briefly Sidon pulls back to get his breath back but Link follows and kisses him again, intoxicated by that feeling of closeness. It’s a dreadful idea to be doing this when he wants to leave soon, when he’s not sure where the two of them stand, but he just can’t seem to get enough of Sidon.

On an impulse, Link licks at Sidon’s lips, nearly chuckling at the thought that he’ll know what zoras taste like. He doesn’t laugh though because Sidon’s tongue meets his, more intimate than Link can handle. He shivers, and Sidon pulls away again, looking more concerned.

"You must be cold," he notes, as if that's the only thing that could be affecting Link. "How about you go dry in the sun while I catch something for us to eat? You might... want to remove your clothes though. As I understand, wet fabric will cool down your body." 

"Still trying to get me naked, uh?" Link retorts, rolling down into the water. It's cold, but less so than being only half submerged. "I guess at least you're getting me lunch so I can't complain." 

He swims back to the shore, leaving Sidon to dive after fish. And perhaps Link is cold because as he sits in the grass, his teeth are clattering. At least his cloak is still dry and warm from being in the sun all along, though that won't last if he keeps his wet rags under it. Reluctantly, Link undresses and wraps himself in his short cloak. He does keep his underwear because even his lack of modesty won't allow for being naked when kissing might hopefully happen again. His body has dangly bits he doesn't feel like explaining to Sidon. 

Laying down on the grass, Link watches Sidon as the prince fishes. Sidon mostly stays underwater, a red shadow in clear waters, so fast Link can barely follow him sometimes. For his sake, Link hopes that Dorephan will be more trusting about letting his son out of his sight now because it’s a crime to keep Sidon locked inside Zora’s Domain. He looks more of a hero than Link ever will, and acts like it too when given a chance.

Again comes that thought that he could _ trust _Sidon. The prince has that same yearning for freedom, maybe he would understand Link's refusal to be sent to slaughter. Sure he was lucky inside Vah Ruta, but against the other Champions, against Ganon who defeated the dead boy without even needing to actually face him? He'll just be murdered again and left to rot or worse, sent back to his prison on the plateau. Surely Sidon is enough of a hero to understand that others aren’t.

Not now though. Now there's a juicy carp to munch on after letting Sidon bite off the head. It's the simplest meal Link can think of, but it beats whatever delicacies the dead boy might have tasted in his days at the Castle. The only thing that can compare is roasted meat shared with Meep as night falls. Maybe when everything is over and Link has found a way out he'll introduce his two red friends to each other. It'd be nice to have both of them at his side. Not that he thinks Sidon would actually abandon his kingdom to follow him into the unknown, but it still makes for a pleasant fantasy. 

The afternoon is spent much the same way as morning was, both of them exploring the ruins. As the sun starts going down, Link finds himself on top of a partly collapsed toward that gives him a unique view toward the sea. The waters over there are getting dark but spots of light still dance above them, looking almost like stars. He could stay there forever, Link feels, until he realises he's shivering once again. So high up, temperatures are dropping fast. 

"I think it's about time to go back," he shouts at Sidon who is closer to the shore. "Watch _ this _though!" 

Recalling all of Gruve's great lectures on diving, Link jumps into the water. He hits the surface a little flatter than he'd have liked and his stomach burns from the impact, but Sidon still applauds before leaving the water. 

"Bet you don't see that every day," Link boasts, knowing he was less than impressive. "Hey can you check if my clothes are dry?" 

Sidon laughs and walks to the pile of rags, bending to grab them. Something falls as he lifts them, but Link doesn't see what exactly, too focused on not drowning. He's not a strong swimmer to begin with, but after such an intense day he finds it hard to keep his head above the water. At last he reaches firm land again, stands up on shaky legs, and looks up at Sidon to hear if his clothes are dry enough to be worn. 

Sidon, instead, is holding the sheikah slate and staring at it. 

"How did you get _ this _ ?" he asks without looking at Link. "Do you _ know _what this is?"

Panic isn't a strong enough word for what's happening. Whatever thoughts Link entertained about trusting Sidon are gone, replaced by anger and fear and a coldness that overtakes his body.

"That's _ mine _!" Link snarls, dashing toward Sidon and trying to snatch the slate from his hand, only for the prince to raise his arm. "Who said you could go through my stuff?" 

"It _ fell _," Sidon retorts coldly, his crest darkening in anger. "Why do you have this though? It belonged to princess Zelda before the Calamity, how did it end up in your hands?" 

"I stole it from a dead man!" Link shouts, trying to jump to get back the cursed thing and failing again. "What would _ you _know about it anyway?" 

Sidon glares at him, keeping the slate high above his head. "I met the princess as a child, and she let me play with it while she spoke to my sister about the Divine Beasts. Not a day I would forget. Not an item I would mistake for something else, either. And now I find it again in the hand of a hylian who had the power to free that same Divine Beast, an hylian who looks oddly similar to the one... "

Link jumps against, this time grasping at Sidon's ornaments and kicking his stomach. Surprised by that attack Sidon bends over, coughing for breath, and relaxes his grip on the slate which Link easily takes back before jumping away. Before Sidon can process what just happened, Link rushes to grab his clothes and turns on the slate, pressing the first blue dot he sees on the map. 

As blue light surrounds him, he can see the shock and betrayal on Sidon's face. It hurts to know the zora will hate him now, but maybe it's for the best. 

It's not like they really were friends anyway. It was just a game they played.


	17. South Akkala Stable

_The end of the world begins in Akkala. _

Link woke up one morning after his escape from Zora’s Domain with those words in mind, after a dream of black feathers and green eyes devoured by glowing black tar. Maybe more of a nightmare than a dream really, but the words felt real enough. His quest for a sea route to escape has failed after weeks wasted on it, but up north there might be something interesting. At least, Link is desperate enough to try that.

That's how he's ended up here, in South Akkala Stable. Not a bad place to be. There are few guests, just some hylians and a large goron that keeps to himself. A young stable employee called Jana was so bored she even offered to mend the gash in his shirt for a very small fee, though now that they're sitting together at a table Link realises maybe she just wanted an excuse to look at him and chat. It makes him think of Sidon, of kissing him until he's breathless. He doesn't _ miss _Sidon of course, because he's not stupid, but he can't help but wish he hadn't been forced to leave so soon. 

It takes Link a moment to realise Jana is staring at him insistently and he smiles, checking that his cloak still covers that blasted scar. 

"Sorry, did you say something?" 

"Yes. I asked if you were going to the East Stable to work as a guard. I know they're recruiting these days."

"I'm a researcher," Link protests. It's become an automatic thing to say now. Better to be a researcher than an aimless rover. 

Jana takes one long look at him and laughs. 

"You don't look like one," she protests with a grin before pointing at his weapons. "Not with those for sure." 

"These are dangerous times, it pays to be armed." 

"With a lynel bow and a zora sword?" Jana chuckles. "Where did you even _ find _the bow?" 

"From a Lynel I killed," Link grumbles since no lies will work for that. There's no market for lynel weapons because most people just can't lift them. He knows. He’s tried to sell it to other travellers on the way to the stable.

"What sort of a researcher goes and kills a _ Lynel _? Come on, who are you really?" Jana insists, smiling a little too much and leaning over the table.

She really might be flirting, Link realises. Again his thoughts turn to Sidon. Stupid prince who flirted with him and turned him into a hero against his will. And Link was stupid too for letting it happen, but it was nice to have an effect on someone, to have that closeness... Maybe he was just lonely. Maybe he still is lonely if he can't stop thinking about Sidon. 

"I am a researcher who knows what to do to stay alive," Link claims, smiling at her as warmly as he can. "The _ stories _I could tell you. Ever seen a Guardian up close?" 

Jana shakes her head with an expression of horrified delight, and some of the other guests turn their ways to listen. Even the goron looks like he's interested, though he stays in his corner. 

Not expecting so much interest, Link starts telling an embellished version of his encounter with the broken Guardian on the plateau, insisting on how loud the beeping was, the way he only narrowly escaped its deadly blasts. In this version of the encounter he manages to deactivate it by stabbing it in the eye with a sword just before it could kill him. Nobody calls him out on it, and Link wonders if Sidon could have guessed when he started lying.

It's been nearly two weeks, why is he still thinking about _ Sidon _?

With his story over, Link puts his mended shirt back on and orders dinner. He has suspicions that Jana would sit with him if he asks. He doesn’t. Thoughts of Sidon won’t leave him and the last thing he wants is company.

Of course, Link never gets what he wants.

"Hello, friend?" 

The goron has come closer. Link decides to ignore him, his bowl of soup looking more interesting. It has bits of pumpkin and mushrooms, and enough cream in it to feed a calf for a week.

"You said you were going North, goro?" 

Link shrugs and nods. _The end of the world begins in Akkala_, his dream said, and he doesn’t know what to do but to follow that voice. 

"I'm going that way too, near the rim. I was wondering if... Maybe you'd accept to travel together, goro?" 

Looking up from his bowl, Link stares at the goron. He's a big fellow, a little taller than the others of his kind that Link has seen so far, with a tuft of curled white hair and huge hands. His silhouette isn't that of a creature that needs a travelling companion, though his hunched posture and anxious smile make it clear he won't last a minute against even a bokoblin. 

Link didn't leave someone as strong and fierce as Meep behind just to bother with some weak idiot who can't defend himself. 

"No offence but I prefer travelling alone. Being in a group only brings problems." 

"Oh, I wouldn't trouble you at all, goro!" the other insists. "I can make myself very useful... Unless there's a fight. But that's not a problem for you, right? So I thought maybe..." 

"I travel alone." 

"I can pay, goro."

That does give Link pause, but not for long. He doesn't really need money. He can get some cash easily by selling the stuff he stores in the slate. His stash of meat hasn't been the same since losing Meep because she's the better hunter, but he still manages to shoot a deer or a bird here and there. That's enough to pay for more arrows and for nights in stables when the occasion arises. 

"If I needed the money this badly, I'd be in a different line of business," Link says. "Sorry, buddy. Find someone else." 

The goron sighs. Link half expects him to keep trying since he looks so desperate, but instead he just mumbles a vague 'thanks' and goes back to standing in a corner. He might be polite enough to take a no, or he might be weak willed, Link can't decide. Doesn't need to decide, because none of this interests him anyway. He finishes his soup and goes to sleep. He wants to get an early start. 

When Link leaves the Stable, the goron is already long gone. Jana says he left a little before sunrise. Link can tell himself he doesn't care, he's a little impressed that the goron went on, all on his own. That kid was literally shaking last night, it must have taken all his courage to step outside the safety of the stable.

It's for the best that Link refused his offer. The last thing he needs is another reckless idiot to hang out with. 

That's easy to say, but when not two hours after leaving the stable Link meets that same goron again, it gives him pause. That big guy is hiding behind some trees too small to cover him and shaking like a leaf in the wind as he spies on the road ahead. Not without reason: right in the middle of the road there's a small gang of bokoblins. The first ones Link sees since leaving Meep behind, and he wishes they weren't there. It's harder not to miss her when he can see others of her kind. 

"Problem, buddy ?" Link asks, startling the poor goron. 

For a half second, Link could swear there was a bright orange light surrounding that goron. When he blinks it's gone. He must have imagined it. 

"It's you!" the goron sighs, relieved. "I, uh. I thought I might manage on my own, goro, but then..." 

He glances toward the bokoblins, one of which has launched himself after a boar while the others watch and laugh. 

"I know bokoblins aren't... They're not that dangerous, but there's a lot of them, goro. " 

Link can count five. It's a decently sized band indeed, and they all seem to have spears, save for one of the blues who has a bow. For someone who doesn't know how to fight, they'll be a real danger. 

"Maybe you should just go home," Link advises.

"No, I _ have _to go," the goron retorts with unexpected determination. "I have to do it this time, even if... Even if I wish the mountain path were still usable, goro." 

"Important business to take care of, uh?" 

The goron nods, his fists clenched. "I have to prove I'm worthy. And if that means some trouble in the way, then... then it's just part of the test, goro." 

Taking a deep breath, his fists clenched even tighter, the goron steps away from his hiding place and tries to walk toward the road. Link grabs his arm to stop him out of sheer instinct.

He's seen enough deaths already. 

"You stay here and I take care of them," he orders. "You passed your test of courage, now let's keep you alive." 

"You'll help me?" 

"Just for this. Don't get attached, buddy." 

Link strides towards the bokoblins, cursing himself for it. When he's close enough he tries to greet them, because there's always the hope of finding them on a good day. That hope is quickly smothered when the second blue charges at him, waving its spear. It's not an easy fight when the bokoblins have the advantage of number, but Link doesn’t even die once before killing the two blues, and the reds don't stick around after that. 

With the road free once more, the goron comes to join Link, looking so relieved he could cry. 

"Thank you, friend! I don't know what I would have done, goro." 

"_ Die _, probably. Don't gorons know how to fight at all?" 

"Others yes, but I'm no good," the goron sighs. "I was too hard to teach so my mentor gave up." 

"Sounds like a shitty teacher." 

The goron looks horrified at this insult against his mentor and starts explaining that he really is weak and a little cowardly, and all sorts of bullshit that belies what Link is seeing. That goron is at least as tall as Sidon and twice as large, and being willing to go unharmed against a bokoblin gang doesn't sound cowardly. Stupid and suicidal, sure, but not _ cowardly _. 

"You're heading toward East Akkala Stable, right?" 

Interrupted in his rant, the goron just nods silently. So they're going the same direction and going to follow the same road and Link doesn't _ want _to travel with someone, but it'd be stupid if they just walked on opposite sides of the road and pretended not to see each other. 

"Fine, then I'll stick with you until we get there," Link sighs. "And I'll try to show you how to defend yourself or else you'll just die the second I let you out of my sight. What's your name, buddy?" 

"Oh! I'm... Yuno. That's me, goro. _ Yuno _. And you are?" 

"I'm Lin," Link replies, because he can tell when he is given a fake name and sees no point in being honest. 

It is safer that way. Goron live long, don’t they? And dead boy had been on Death Mountain. Had made a friend there. A smile, crushing hugs, food that he couldn't eat but tried anyway, affection warmth comfort pride _ laughter _. 

Dead boy didn't laugh a lot, but with that friend he managed. 

Well Link isn't the dead boy, and he's had enough of friends for a lifetime. Meep he will return to when he can safely offer her a way out, Sidon he will find a way to forget... And Yuno he will not befriend at all. Not _ this _time. 

This part of Akkala isn't a bad one to walk in. It sure is better than the road to South Akkala Stable, still partly paved in a grim reminder of better days and littered with the remains of dead guardians. Here it's just a quiet wood, the most dangerous thing they've seen since the bokoblin is a boar that tried to charge them until it realised how big Yuno is and ran away instead. It's a peaceful place. 

A few times, it seems to get too quiet for Yuno who tries to start chatting. 

"So, why are you going North?" he asks Link. 

"I'm going to the end of the world." 

The goron stares with wide eyes. "Oh. That's. Nice?" 

He waits, clearly expecting Link to elaborate on his cryptic answer. No further explanation comes because honestly Link doesn't know what he's doing. Following something he half remembered in a dream is stupid, even by his standards. What else can he do though? He can't go back to Meep without something to show to justify his long absence. 

Silence falls for a while. But Yuno, apparently, isn't the silent type. 

"Where do you come from, Lin? I'm from Death Mountain. I mean, obviously, goro. Where else could I be from?" 

"Don't really have a place of my own," Link explains, pushing back against memories of Hateno where the dead boy was somewhat happy once. "Death Mountain, uh. I don't know much about gorons if I'm honest. You got a family and stuff?" 

"No," Yuno just says, his shoulders hunched up a little more than before. 

Link doesn't insist. What could he reply to that anyway? '_ me neither, orphan solidarity! _' doesn't sound like a good answer. Besides with the state Hyrule is in, most people seem to have lost some family members so they're nothing special. 

Still after a while it's Link who tries again to talk. 

"So, Gorons. What sort of weapons do you guys use?" 

"Oh. Uh. Usually just our fists," Yuno explains, raising his own hands, bigger than Link's torso. "Some people use stone smashers too. They're like big heavy swords with a blunt blade. They're very good against Talus and you can use them to mine too, goro." 

"What's a Talus ?"

"Oh, uh. They're stone creatures. Some are small and some are... not so small, goro. They look like normal tasty rocks when they're hiding, but they're very dangerous." 

It's odd, after months, to finally have a name for the creature that unwillingly allowed Link to meet Meep. It's equally odd to know that something as terrifying as an angry giant living stone isn't all that uncommon. Hyrule really is a dangerous place. All the more reason to leave it behind. 

This time, neither of them insists when silence returns. Link has too much to think about and apparently, so does Yuno.

  
  


That night Link has Yuno help him set up their camp. Mostly he sends the goron to gather wood, the only thing he can trust him with at this point. Yuno apologises when he thinks he doesn't have enough wood, and again when he realises he might have brought too much. Link is less bothered by the quantity than by the quality. Most of it is too green to burn well, and there's an actual entire small tree too, roots and all. 

That, at least, they can use. Link cuts the branches from it and hands it back to Yuno. 

"Now you've got a club," he announces. "Let's see what we can make you do with it." 

For such a big strong creature, Yuno's grip on his club is rather weak and it almost slides out of his hands when Link asks him to take a swing. 

"Congrats, with a real weapon you'd have hurt yourself. Come on, get a good grip and pretend you're hitting something you hate!" 

Yuno tries again, his grasp on the club stronger but his swing weaker. Maybe he doesn't hate anything enough to want to hit them. Or perhaps he's been told too much to mind his strength, the way dead boy's friend explained he had when he was little. A big toothy smile and raw power that could split granite in two and surprisingly _ gentle _hugs once he understood hylians were more delicate than gorons and... 

Link shakes his head. He doesn't have time for that. 

"A bit better," he tells Yuno, which isn't quite a lie. "Now, let's have you actually hitting something. This tree here..." 

"I might break it," Yuno protests in a weak voice. 

"You'll break the club maybe. All you'll do to that tree is damage its bark a bit if you're lucky. It should survive that, and you'll survive a little longer too if you can defend yourself. Come on buddy, hit it!" 

That third swing is the weakest yet, but the dull sound when wood meets wood is enough to have Yuno drop his improvised weapon. 

"We'll get there," Link comments. "You'd knock out a boko with that, you know. A little harder and you'd even kill it." 

"Oh. I don't think I want _ that _, goro." 

"It's fine. They come back at the blood moon anyway." 

At least they usually do, if they are deemed worthy, Meep said.

"But it must hurt them anyway," Yuno mumbles. "I know I don't like when..." 

He hesitates. Link stares at him encouragingly, a little curious as to what that goron boy could think he has in common with bokoblins, but nothing more is coming. Yuno just looks down at his feet. 

"Well it'll hurt you too if you die," Link reminds him when it's clear Yuno won't finish his sentence. "And unlike them, _ you _can't come back. So let's make sure you won’t get killed. Come on, buddy. Hit that tree again." 

That little training session continues until it gets too dark and Link doesn't feel comfortable away from their fire. They don't make a lot of progress, Yuno is still very obviously restraining himself when hitting the tree, but Link figures that's fine. The strength is there anyway, so it's just a matter of getting Yuno used to handling a weapon. When he gets in a real fight against monsters he'll be too busy defending his life to worry about the morality of killing another being.

Their second day together is very much like the first one, except by late afternoon they reach the edge of the woods and decide to settle there for the night. That's Link's choice anyway, because trees make an easy target with which to train his student and they seem rarer once they get into Akkala proper. And while Yuno strikes at a tree, Link gathers wood and stores it in the slate so they can always light a fire at night. Yuno's first actual fight should not be against _stalfos_, Link has decided. Not until Yuno stops dropping his club every time he hits something too hard. 

When night settles, they sit near the fire to eat. Link has some roasted meat stored in the slate that he pretends to take out of his pouch, while Yuno grabs some rocks from his own bag and bites into it. 

"Isn't pumice kind of shitty?" Link asks. "Thought basalt was more nutritious." 

"Pumice is lighter so it's good for travelling. And it's cheaper, goro. I don't mine myself, so I get what I can." 

Link frowns. "Thought all gorons worked in mines?" 

"Well, uh. Not always as miners, goro. I'm more of. Of an assistant. I help the boss with. With all that he could need help with. Which isn't much lately because of all the eruptions. That's why I'm here," Yuno chuckles, biting in his piece of pumice again. "We can't work with Vah Rudania causing all those troubles, so I thought I'd try this again."

"Try what?" 

"A goron thing," Yuno mumbles with a small shrug. 

Link waits for more, but once again nothing is coming. Yuno seems to like keeping secrets as much as Link does, and the hylian can't say he likes being on the receiving end of that. If that's how talking to him was, why did Sidon ever... But he's _not_ thinking of Sidon, not now, not _ever again_.

It's almost a relief when Link hears footsteps coming closer to their fire. Link reaches for his sword even when he knows stalfos won't come near the light and tenses, ready to defend himself. 

Instead of glowing eyes stopping right at the edge of the light, a tall woman comes into view, smiling at them. 

"Sav'saaba!" she greets them. "Can I share your fire?" 

"Of course you can," Yuno says before Link can react. "It's dangerous at night, goro." 

The goron scoots over closer to Link to make space near the fire while the woman sits down. Between her accent and her looks it's not hard to guess that she's gerudo, but Link asks anyway. 

"Yes, I'm halfway through my tour of Hyrule. I'm Laroba. You two are ?" 

"I'm Lin and this is Yuno. Are you going north too?" 

It would be hard to not let her travel with them if she is. Gerudos tend to be good fighters of course, but so are most gorons and yet he found the one who's a committed pacifist. 

Laroba shakes her head. "Heading back south, I'm thinking if visiting Hyrule Ridge next. Akkala turned out pretty boring. Not much to see unless you're into odd stuff." 

"How odd?" Yuno asks in a trembling voice.

"Ever heard of a thing called Fang and Bone?" Laroba retorts with a cruel smirk. "Check your map for a pond in the north that looks like a skull. That pond at night is where you'll run into Fang and Bone... if you've got the stomach for it." 

"What is it?" Link insists. "A place?" 

"A shop," Laroba explains, dropping the smirk now that she’s done scaring Yuno. "With that big bow, I'd have thought you were heading there. You look the type. But if you don't know already, better avoid it. It's not a place I'd recommend unless you are in certain fields of work." 

That only makes it sound even more intriguing. If Link had time to lose, he would be heading straight for that mysterious shop. Somehow the name makes him think of rare and unusual foods, but that might just be because Laroba started roasting some pieces of meat on a stick, deliciously assaulting his nose with spices. 

"So why are you two going North if not for the Fang and Bones?" she asks, turning the meat so it won't burn. 

"Goron tradition," Yuno mumbles, refusing again to say more. 

"I'm going to the end of the world," Link explains, staring at the gerudo's dinner and wondering what he could trade for a mouthful of it. He might have some river snails still, but if she's like most hylians she won't want them. 

Laroba frowns at his answer. "Not often people call the rim that," she notes. "It makes you sound like you're a hundred, kid." 

"And not looking a day over eighty," Link retorts with a grin. "I had a friend who called it that, and he was born before the Calamity."

"It's not much to see unless you’re very high," Yuno says. "I've been there and it's just. It's just a big fault in the rock. The boss says the rock on the other side doesn't look very good, either. A lot of chalk, he says. It always seems sunny there though, goro." 

Link can't help but stare at Yuno with an open mouth. It's one thing to follow a voice heard in a dream, and quite another to discover the voice wasn't lying. The end of the world is real and unlike his hopes of escape at sea, it's something that can actually be _ seen _. 

"I've heard there are great green meadows on the other side," Laroba protests. "Greener than anything in Hyrule. Not that it matters. It's not like you can _ cross _, right?" 

She chuckles at that ridiculous idea while Yuno nods his agreement and mumbles something about it being too deep and the winds too strong. 

"I'll get there," Link says, mostly to himself. "I'll find a way to cross. There's _ got _to be something outside of Hyrule." 

"So you're that sort, uh?" Laroba notes with an amused smile as she bites into her dinner. "Yes, you have the eyes. Your goron friend is right though, it's pointless to try that way. Better head for gerudo desert instead. If you can cross it, people say you'll get into a land called Holodrum." 

She says that with a laugh as if the very idea is ridiculous, but Link is struck. He can't forget that book written by another chosen hero long ago, another man who tried to run away and ended up in a country of that exact name. There was a map that showed a desert, one that other hero visited and described. It can't be a simple coincidence, can it? The stories are embellished but still authentic, Sidon had said at the time.

"Is it hard to get there? Holodrum?" 

Laroba only laughs harder. "Kid, that's just a story. Something we tell children so they won't try going too far into the desert," she explains, before handing him the last piece of meat on her skewer. "Want to try? You were looking earlier." 

If it's an attempt to distract Link from talks of faraway lands, it's successful. The meat has been rubbed in powders he can't name that partly hide its original flavour and make his tongue sing. It's somewhat sweet but there's also a slight burn in his mouth, rather like a less intense version of chewing on a spicy pepper. 

Paprika, Laroba calls it as she agrees to trade a small pouch of the powder for some luminous stones. Link carefully stores it away, while Yuno asks to taste it so he can compare it with a goron spice. 

Laroba and him end up talking about cooking, and even though their diets are widely different they both seem to agree a lot of hylian food is very bland. Considering Link is still excited when he gets to taste something cooked with actual salt in it, he can't really blame them. 

It wasn't always that way of course. Back in dead boy's days, intense trades meant that spices were everywhere, even in a place like Hateno. Back when Hyrule wasn't a dying place. 

Link wonders what sort of foods he'll find in the world outside, when Meep and him manage to escape. 


	18. East Akkala Stable

After saying goodbye to Laroba at dawn, Link and Yuno resume their journey. It's a pretty quiet day and the scenery isn't exactly a bad one. A lot of green, gentle slopes with here and there a tree to break the monotony of it. And it certainly is monotonous after the first couple of hours. Green. And green. And _ more _green. Of course if he wants a break from the green, on their left there's a cliff side giving a view on a gorge infested by flying guardians that send Link's heart racing. And on their right, when the low hills allow it, there's the sea. 

To think not so long ago it gave him such hope to stare at that endless body of water. Now whenever Link's eyes fall on it, he's assaulted by memories. His _ own _, not dead boy's, which makes them harder to ignore. 

He can't help but miss those precious days in Lurelin, messing around with Meep, eating fish and helping people with small things. If they had stayed there Meep wouldn't have died and he wouldn't have been forced to leave her behind. He also wouldn't have met Sidon and _that_ certainly would have been a blessing. Link should never have kissed him that day in the ruins. He's sure he'd have forgotten the prince if not for that, but now he keeps finding himself thinking of cool lips against his own and strong hands keeping him close. 

Link blames the scenery for those thoughts. With nothing to look at, of course his mind will think of the wrong things. By the second day after leaving the woods, Link is almost ready to pray to Hylia so she'll send some monsters their way and rescue him from his own mind. 

Instead on the third day it starts raining so heavily they keep slipping in the mud. Yuno, shyly, suggests that maybe they should take refuge under a tree and Link readily agrees. It's wasted time, but there's water and mud inside his boots and he's as drenched as under Vah Ruta's rains. 

"Well buddy, training time came early," Link announces as they stand under a tall pine tree. "Let's see what you can do today." 

Yuno groans, looking at his club, dirty from having been dragged around. 

"If I break the tree we'll be under the rain again," he mumbles. 

"It's a good solid tree," Link retorts, knocking on the pine's trunk. "And you've never broken a single one so far. Besides, it's that or just waiting for the rain to stop while doing _ nothing _." 

That argument seems to work. Yuno raises his club and swinging it weakly at the tree. Usually Link would let him do what he likes, but today the deafening sound of rain reminds him too much of Zora's Domain and he needs to focus on something else. 

"Go at it harder," Link insists, miming how he would hit if he had a club of his own. "You shouldn't make such wide movements, it leaves you open to attacks in a fight. Smaller swings but with more energy." 

"I don't want to break it, goro." 

"Buddy, you wouldn't even if you tried. You know about stones, I know about trees," Link claims, almost certain that he at least knows more than Yuno and can't be challenged on that. "Your club is the pulice of wood and this pine is granite. Unless you start directly punching it, you won't do anything to it. So come on. Show me some _ bite _."

There's still too much hesitation when Yuno hits the trunk again, but he listens to Link's instruction. The swing isn't as wide, the blow is more brutal than anything he's done so far, lightly shaking the branches above them. Link can't help but applaud. 

"That's the spirit! Do it again, but try to bring it back to you and hit again right away. It's going to bounce a bit on the tree so use that, ok ?" 

Still a little uncertain, Yuno does as instructed. He still doesn't hit as hard as he could, but he's trying and Link can only congratulate him on that. Yuno is a natural as this, he's got the arm strength for fighting with a club and Link can't imagine how anyone could have decided this boy isn't worth training. 

They continue working like that for a while. Yuno isn't just strong, he's tireless, and the more Link compliments his efforts the harder he tries. They don't stop until there's a lull in the downpour after a while and they both look to the hills trying to figure out if it is over or if they should stay there a while longer.

"Do you think it's coming lower, goro?" Yuno asks, staring at Death Mountain. 

Link doesn't need to ask what he's talking about. There's a big black thing moving on the sides of the volcano. From so far and with the rain already regaining strength Link can't see its exact shape, but he doesn't need to. Daruk's Divine Beast. 

"Seems pretty high up to me," he says at last.

"It was higher yesterday, goro," Yuno insists, lowering his club. "At least, it's on this side of the mountain, it can't make trouble for anyone..." 

Right, Goron city is on the western side of the volcano, opposite to them. Yuno really is a long way from home. 

"It didn't use to be like that," Yuno explains, still looking away even though the rain picked up again and they can't see the volcano anymore. "It used to be a lot calmer, goro, but these days it keeps trying to come down from the mountain. I hope I can be back before it finds the bridge again..." 

"Well it's not really your problem, is it? Bet there's plenty of strong goron warriors ready to keep Goron City safe." 

Yuno doesn't reply right away, still staring into the distance, but he raises his club again. 

"The boss knows how to drive it away," he mumbles at last, weakly striking the tree. "But it's easier if I'm here to help and Rudania stays away longer after, goro. But it. It _ scares _me pretty bad to get so close to it. I. I really wish someone else could. Do it." 

It's an odd idea that someone like Yuno could be of any help against a Divine Beast when he can't fight and doesn't seem to have any special skill aside from being _ nice _and eager to please. At the same time, Yuno has been hiding secrets so who knows what he can really do? 

"You are quite the hero then, buddy!" Link notes. "You must be quite popular in town." 

"Not really, goro. It's like Boss says, I'm a bit of a slacker and I always try to avoid it if I can. If my dad were here..." 

Yuno gasps and presses one hand against his mouth, turning to look at Link with big scared eyes as if he'd said something wrong. Link can't figure out what that would be though. Goron biology is weird, but he somewhat knows that they do have families even if they don't reproduce like organic people. Daruk had explained a few things to dead boy, more probably than most hylians knew. He remembers dead boy being _ honoured _to be trusted with that knowledge, because gorons rarely spoke of that with strangers. But there had been a reason for Daruk to explain this, some good news... 

"My father was a great warrior," Yuno sighs, avoiding Link's eyes and hitting the tree again. "A real hero, people always say, goro. But he died before I was born because of Rudania, so I never met him. He was so great, they carved a statue of him in town, so he'd never be forgotten. I wish I could have met him, but... Sometimes I’m. I'm glad I _ didn't _." 

"Why? If he was so great..." 

"He was very great and I'm _ not _ . Sometimes boss says I'm not worthy of that legacy and he's not wrong, goro." Yuno sighs again, looking down at his club and hitting the tree a little harder. "My dad would never have hesitated to do something dangerous to protect others, and he. He passed the adulthood ceremony when he was very young, and he was great at everything he did and. And he feared _ nothing _ . It's hard living in his shadow and knowing I'll never be _ half _as good, goro."

Link can't help but nod, one hand coming to rest on his chest, on top of the scar that killed him. 

"Yeah, I know that feeling, buddy." 

"You? You're great like my dad, don't pretend, goro. I know you just feel _ sorry _for me."

"No, I..." 

Link hesitates. There's a lot he never told anyone. That he never even told Meep, because it would have been too complicated to explain and he knew it wouldn't matter between them. That he was tempted to tell Sidon. That he's tempted to tell Yuno now even though he's known him for less than a week. 

"I used to be someone important," Link says, trying to figure out how much honesty he can afford. "But I ran away from all that because I didn’t want to take risks for people I had never even met. Look around, Hyrule is dying! Nobody can change that. I’m a new person now and I don’t care who I was before. But I know… I live in the shadow of someone I used to be, and a lot of people would rather have old me back." 

The sheikahs probably would. Rhoam too without doubt. Even Mipha, supposing she realised how different Link is from her dead friend. Damn, all of Hyrule would want dead boy to return in his full devotion to Hylia if that might give them a chance to be saved from Ganon. Nevermind that no version of him is strong enough to defeat the Calamity, which even dead boy understood in the end.

Without surprise, Yuno looks rather suspicious of his story. He's got every right to be, of course. If Link wasn't living it, he'd find it stupid too. 

"I'm not trying to get your pity, and I'm happy the way I am," Link assures him. "Happier than I was before, for sure. My point was just... I know about expectations, and about people wanting you to be someone you’re not. The trick is to not care because you don't _ owe _anyone anything." 

"That's easy to say if no one is counting on you, goro," Yuno mumbles, resuming his training and hitting the tree hard a few times. "But I do owe it to the other gorons to help. If I don't do it, it's my fault if someone gets hurt." 

It feels so much like an accusation that Link has to remind himself Yuno doesn't know who he really is. It still stings. 

"No it's not your fault," Link grumbles. "You didn't ask for this, they can't dump their problems on you like that. If they can't manage without a hero, they don't deserve to survive." 

Yuno frowns, something that looks almost like a glare on his usually gentle face. 

"Well, I'll keep trying to help anyway," the goron replies, striking the pine tree hard enough that it shakes and creaks. "Someone _ has _ too, goro. Even if I'm not as great as my dad or as the boss, and I get scared and I don't like it... _ Someone _has to help. And you can say what you like but... You're like the boss, you're not as mean as you say, goro. After all, you're helping me." 

"Only because I've seen enough people die already," Link hisses, offended that Yuno is throwing his weakness to his face like that. "We're going the same way, I'd rather avoid having to see you gored to death by a bokoblin's spear." 

Link almost never thinks of Meep dying. At least, he tells himself he doesn't, except when he has nightmares about it, or he touches something too much like the cold, hard feeling of her skin. Or when he saw Sidon maimed by Vah Ruta, red blood in the water. 

Or now when his regrettable choice of word brings back the dull sound of sheikah spears hitting her chest and the sharp smell of black blood. 

"I don't care about people," Link proclaims, fighting to keep his voice even when Meep's pained wail rings to his ears. "I've told you, haven't I? I travel alone. Don't go getting attached."

It's a warning to Yuno who looks like he doesn't need it at this point. It's a warning to Link himself that he can't make that mistake again.

Yuno shrugs and goes back to training, his blows weak once again. Mid-afternoon the rain finally stops for good, and they're able to resume their journey. There is a heavy silence hanging between them, but Link tells himself he doesn't care. 

It doesn't take them long to reach East Akkala Stable. Link immediately drops Yuno, and out of sheer habit he starts chatting cheerfully to the employees. Rudi, the head of the stable, tries to hire him as a guard, explaining they've had a rougher crowd coming in lately because of that Fangs and Bones place Laroba mentioned to them. They already have one, Hoz, but a second one would be welcome. Link refuses of course, though he wonders now if he won't try to find that mysterious shop on the way back from the end of the world. He'll be alone, so he can do what he likes. This stable was as far as he said he'd go with Yuno. 

That’s a decision to be made later. It’s been a long day, cold and miserable and _ wet _. All Link want at the moment is to eat something warm and go to sleep. He asks Khini, the cook, for a bowl of whatever soup he’s preparing, only to be informed it’s not quite ready yet but he can have a bun while he waits. Link takes the offer and goes to sit at a table with his snack. Not far from him Yuno is eating too, sometimes glancing at Link as if he’s hoping to be invited to join him, but that’s not happening. Whatever partnership they had is over.

Yuno isn’t the only one with his eyes on Link though. There’s a woman at the inn’s only other table, who is staring at him quite insistently. When their eyes accidentally meet, she seems to take it as an invitation and comes to join Link.

"Good evening," she says, sitting close to him even though the stable is near empty and there's plenty of space at the table. "I haven't seen you around here." She looks at his tattered shirt and the large Lynel bow at his feet. "Boy you sure have strange tastes. You look like someone who has travelled willy-nilly all over the world." 

Link sighs. Perhaps it's part of the Goddess's curse for her chosen hero that he can't go anywhere without people chatting with him. One meal in peace, that’s all he’s asking for.

"Who are you?" he asks, hoping his uninterested tone will be picked up. 

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Nobo," she explains with a smile, leaning slightly toward Link. "I've travelled everywhere but at the end of the day I like Akkala best of all. That's why I'm pretty familiar with stuff around here. If you'd like someone to show you around..." 

"I'm not really here for tourism," Link protests tiredly. "I'm just going to the end of... To the rim."

“Oh, I can show you how to get there,” Nobo insists, standing up and grabbing his wrist. “It’ll just take a minute, before it gets dark. Akkala isn’t without its dangers, you need to know what you’re getting into.”

Sensing she won’t leave him alone, Link reluctantly follows her out of the building.

“This is the main road,” she explains, pointing at the path Link and Yuno followed to get to the stable. “Then that way, up North, you have the shortest direct way to the rim… if you have a death wish. There are active Guardians by the road. Nobody uses it, except sheikahs.”

Link can’t refrain a shiver at the name. After that disaster in Kakariko, he had hoped to never again have to deal with those people.

“There are sheikahs here?”

“Just old Robbie and his wife in that weird lab of theirs,” Nobo explains. “They’re not there at the moment though. They stopped at the stable two weeks ago, saying they were going to Kakariko. I think they might be visiting their son, but really who knows with sheikahs, right? Sneaky bastards, the lot of them. So, if I were you, I wouldn’t go _ that _way to see the rim.”

In spite of his earlier reluctance, Link is glad he took the time to listen to Nobo. Guardians and sheikahs… that’s a deadly combination if he ever heard of one. After all, that’s how Ganon managed to destroy Hyrule the first time, isn’t it? It didn’t help that Hylia rejected the princess for asking too many questions, refusing her the grace of Her holy powers, but Ganon wouldn’t have done nearly as much damage without an army of Guardians for him to take over. If not for the machines, perhaps dead boy could have reached Ganon and done his job, even without the princess’s powers. He’d had the sword, hadn’t he? It could have been enough. But with the Guardians protecting their new master…

Funny how those things meant to help them had been their downfall.

“So, if I don’t want to be blasted by Guardians, how can I get to the rim?”

“Well, there’s not real road for that,” Nobo admits. “Akkala is a wild place. People used to call this stable the last refuge of civilisation, back in the days. But if you got west through the plains until you reach Skull Lake and start heading North there, you should be fine. There’s some monsters, sure, but you look like a tough strong boy, I’m sure you can handle it. Your bow… it’s a Lynel’s, right? Then you’ll be fine.”

There’s something a little exciting about leaving roads behind. When Meep and him left the Plateau they travelled a long while in wild places and he misses that sense of adventure. Or perhaps he just misses Meep. He doesn’t want to think about that, though. It’s a problem for later, when he’s seen the end of the world and found a way to escape. Then he can return to Meep… if she waited for him.

"So, do you have someone back home?" Nobo asks.

The question startles Link out of his thoughts. He hates how his traitorous mind immediately goes first to Sidon, then to Meep, and quickly shakes his head. 

"I'm free as the wind." 

"Well, that's nice,” Nobo replies. “Would you fancy a bit of... fun? Nothing serious, just, you know. Some _ fun _." 

It is a bold offer, and Link isn't sure what to say. His first instinct is to refuse because he just isn't interested in whatever she was offering. Not because he would want it from someone else, but because the idea of that sort of intimacy leaves him cold. Even with Sidon he'd have been content to do nothing more than kiss.

But kissing _ was _pretty fun, and he wouldn't mind some more of that. It makes no difference if it's with Sidon or someone else anyway. In fact, it could be fun to try with someone different. Just as he does with food, it can be a new experience to catalogue before the end of the world. If he snogs other people, it’ll help erase that damned fish prince from his mind.

"I'm fine with kissing," he replies with a grin. "The rest isn't really my thing." 

"Works for me," Nobo replies, stepping closer and bringing her hands on his shoulders. 

Even before she kisses him, Link already regrets his idea. Her hands feel uncomfortably warm even through fabric and he dislikes how close she is even though with Sidon he craved that closeness. Her lips are warm when she brushes them against his which has no reason to be so unpleasant, but it is. The touch is thankfully short-lived. When she feels him tense, Nobo immediately pulls away. 

"So you're not into it after all, uh ?" she says with barely a hint of resentment. "Oh well, I tried. Not often we get cute boys here." 

Link tries to smile, grateful that she doesn't mind this failed experiment. Maybe it didn't work because she's his size, or because she's a woman, or because he doesn't fancy hylians. 

Maybe it's because she's not Sidon. If he's like dead boy who never cared for those things until he met the wrong person... 

But that's different, Link tells himself as they return inside. Dead boy was an idiot who fell in love, while Link entertains no such feelings for Sidon. He just misses the attention. He misses having a friend.

The shrine lights blue when Link puts the slate on its pedestal, as they all do. It still is odd that there’s one of those damned shrines near every stable he’s visited, but he can’t really complain when it is so convenient to him. If Nobo’s warnings about monsters and Guardians were true, he might need to warp back somewhere safe in a hurry.

It’s still fairly dark outside when Link steps again inside the stable, but already the people there are up and working. Nobody seems to pay him any mind though, so long as he stays out of their way. Khini sells him another bun for his breakfast, at a slight discount because he hasn’t had time yet to make fresh ones.

Even a little stale, the bun is pretty good, so Link goes to sit at a table and watches people work, idly wondering what it must be like to know what you have to do with your life. There’s no hesitation in their movements. Khini is already preparing his next batch of buns while keeping an eye on today’s soup, his wife Aya went outside with her arms full of hay for the horses of guests and their own sheep, Hoz is chatting with Rudi about his rounds of the night and his duties for the day. There’s little room for doubts in their busy life. Link almost envies their certainty. But then, dead boy had certainty too, didn’t he? 

Busy with his bun and his observations, Link manages to not notice Yuno has joined him until the goron coughs to make his presence known.

“Getting ready to go on your way, uh?” Link notes, seeing Yuno has already packed his few belongings. “Well, I bid you good luck. Take care of yourself, I guess.”

Yuno nods at that, looking slightly hesitant.

"So what will you do now, goro?" 

Link shrugs. Going straight north would be the simpler option, but he'd rather avoid passing by a sheikah facility surrounded with Guardians, even if the sheikahs themselves are absent. A detour by the west then... 

"That place I'm going, it's pretty close to the rim, goro," Yuno explains in what he must think is a nonchalant tone while he wrings his hands. "And I wouldn't mind some company. The stable head says there's monsters that way." 

"I told you not to get attached," Link scolds him, terrified by how much he _wants_ to take Yuno's unspoken offer. "What kind of monsters?" 

"Oh, uh. Mostly bokoblins, but they've heard further west there's a Lynel, and they've seen a traveller that was trying to trade things it got from a Hinox too."

It's possible that Yuno could handle himself against some bokoblins if he can forget his scrupules, but picturing him facing a Lynel is enough to make Link sick. If they're all like the one he fought with Sidon, Yuno will be dead before he can decide if he's willing to fight or not. 

"Sounds like you're going to a pretty dangerous place, buddy. Is it really worth the risk?" 

"I've got to know I can _ do _this, goro. And they marked on my map where they think the Lynel is so I can avoid it..." 

To prove it, Yuno unfolded said map on the table. It's not a very big one, Link notes, and it rather looks like it was drawn by someone with only the vaguest notions of cartography, perhaps after sitting on top of a volcano and looking down. 

"We're here," Yuno explains, tapping on something that might pass for a horse head. "There's no road to... To where I'm going, goro. But it's not so hard to find either because once we are past the plains," he says, moving one big finger along his imagined path, careful to go around the area where someone drew little red Xs and stopping almost at the edge of the paper, "we can sort of walk along the rim until we get to the hot springs, goro. Well, I mean. Until _ I _ get there." 

"And that's where the Lynel lives?" Link asks, pointing at one of the red Xs. "You don't have a lot of leeway between its territory and that lake there." 

Yuno sighs and nods. "I'll have to be careful, goro." 

"We'll find a way to avoid that thing," Link promises. 

"So you're coming with me?" Yuno asks with a hopeful smile. 

It’s a bad, stupid decision, and Link knows it. But even he isn’t enough of a bastard to willingly let that poor kid go to his death. Yuno isn’t going to change his mind about adventuring in the wild so Link might as well stick with him a little longer.

"Until the rim, yeah. After that you should be safe anyway, and it'd be stupid to travel to the same place and try to avoid each other." 

It doesn’t take them very long to discover the stable staff wasn't lying when they warned against bokoblin. They just forgot to mention the monsters take full advantage of the many horses that have reclaimed the wilderness. Link tries to lead Yuno so they stay out of sight, but that was never going to work. Bokoblins have a keen eyesight and it doesn't take long for one to spot them and give the alert. 

"Just hit them if they get too close," Link orders Yuno, eyes on the bokoblins riding their way. "Pretend they're trees. I'll take care of them alone if I can, but keep yourself safe." 

He can count four bokoblins, three blue and one that's black with white markings. Link has never seen one of those before, but its horse is a little faster and its spear a little bigger, so it's easy to guess it is to blues whats the blues are to reds. At another time it would be almost exciting to be faced with this new, stronger enemy, but right now all it means is more danger than planned for Yuno. 

With a bow as powerful as the one he took from the Lynel, it’s easy for Link to shoot at one of the blue bokoblins even from a distance, lodging an arrow in its throat. He’s a little less lucky with that black one, only managing to hit its arm which enrages it.

“**I kill the hylian!**” it roars, trying to charge at Link who only narrowly avoids getting run over by jumping aside.

“Watch the blue ones,” Link shouts at Yuno. “The black one has it for me, but mind the others!”

Holding his club tight, Yuno makes a sound that might be him agreeing. Most likely it’s just a cry of fear though, because the poor goron is shaking like a leaf. Hopefully the blue bokoblins running their horses in circle around them won’t notice that and just see a big powerful creature that has Link back. He can always hope, can’t he?

If the blues are willing to wait, the black one is still furious and charges again at Link. This time Link doesn’t bulge, waiting for the last moment to step aside and jump on his enemy’s horse. It’s nothing like riding with Meep, the black bokoblin is snarling and trying to bite him, but Link stabs it once before they are both violently thrown off the horse.

His back on the grass and struggling for breath, Link somewhat regrets the way he did this. If he dies, he’s not doing that again.

If he dies quickly becomes _when_ he dies, because that blasted bokoblin is still standing, spear in hand.

“**Stupid hylian** ,” it growls breathlessly. “ **I kill you for the Master’s glory.**”

The spear pierces Link’s side at the same time as Yuno’s club hits the bokoblin’s head, sending it flying.

“Not my friend!” Yuno cries out, waving his club at the unmoving monster.

He then turns to the other two, still circling around them, and tightens the grip on his club, glaring at them. 

"Come closer if you dare!" 

One blue keeps its distance, smart enough to have some survival instinct, but Link vaguely hears the second one mocking it for it.

“**It’s scared! It’s trembling! I’ll kill it!**” the bokoblin boasts, launching its horse into a gallop.

And certainly, Yuno is shaking like a leaf. But his feet are firmly camped on the ground the way Link taught him as he prepares to take a swing at the monster. The bokoblin chest makes a sick crunching sound as the goron’s club connect with it. The creature falls a few feet away and while his horse runs away as does the last remaining bokoblin, the one Yuno hit never gets up again.

As soon as he's sure the bokoblin really is gone, Yuno lets go of his club and drops on his knees next to Link. The spear is still embedded in his side, sharp pain coursing through him when Yuno so much as touches it. 

"I'm sorry, I should have hit it sooner," Yuno laments. "I'll go get someone at the stable, I'll..." 

"No need," Link hisses through clenched teeth, grabbing the shaft of the spear and pulling hard until the head comes free, letting his blood flow out of the wound. He knows the drill now. He'll die, and be sent back to the moment he made a fatal mistake. Maybe if he can roll aside before the spear hits him... 

But no matter how many times he blinks, Link is still _ there _. Maybe this is the final one, he realises, grasping Yuno's big hand and staring at the goron who mirrors his panic. 

"I can't die like this," Link mumbles, pressing his other hand on the wound as if that will do anything. "Meep might still be waiting, I've got to let her know..." 

"You're going to be fine, goro," Yuno cuts him, looking at a loss. "It... It doesn't look that. It doesn't look that _ bad _, it's stopped bleeding even, goro!" 

Meep too had stopped bleeding, Link feverishly remembers. But she was already dead then, while he obviously isn't. In fact, he doesn't hurt much anymore. When he lifts his bloodied hand, Link discovers a faint blue glow around his already closing wound. Something about it is familiar, and he doesn't have to wonder for long before dead boy's memories provide an answer. 

"Mipha..." he whispers, letting go of Yuno’s hand and gingerly touching the smooth skin that just moments ago was an open gash. 

"What was that?" Yuno asks, sounding almost more worried now. "I didn't know hylians could do that?" 

One last time Link presses his fingers against his side, amazed that there isn't even a scar. He then looks up at Yuno and grins.

"Sorry if I worried you, buddy," Link says with a short laugh. "An old friend gave me a blessing before she... before she left. I just didn't think it would actually do something..." Link shakes his head, feeling almost guilty for doubting Mipha when she said she was passing her gift onto him, and smiles a little wider at Yuno. "Enough about me. Buddy, you were amazing! You saved my life!" 

Yuno looks away, scratching the back of his head. "I didn't, the magic of your friend did. That monster still hurt you..." 

"And it'd have done worse if not for you," Link assures him as he finally sits up. "So don't play it down, buddy. I owe you." 

"You're just saying that to be nice, goro," Yuno protests, only for Link to start laughing. 

"Yeah, because _ nice _has been my defining quality so far, eh? No, bud. You did great and it's only fair I say it. I don't know who got you convinced that you couldn't fight but they were wrong. Look at you, you killed two entire bokos, that's amazing!" 

Instead of pleasing him, that reminder of what he's done only makes Yuno more uncomfortable as he looks at their fallen enemies. 

"Should we... Shouldn't we do something for them? Back home we. We have a prayer for the creatures we... have to kill, but I've never seen a dead bokoblin before so I don't know, goro." 

The question surprises Link. What's the use of praying, especially for a creature that will come back? Meep never showed much consideration for her fallen brethren and Link easily went along with that, glad he didn't have to linger around dead things. Death is the realm of the boy who lived before the calamity and lost everything to it. Link, on the other hand, is fiercely alive and cannot be bothered with things like mourning or loss or even pity for fallen enemies.

Yunobo isn't him though, and it's too obvious this is disturbing him. A first kill is never easy. To Link it came naturally, sure, but he knows dead boy was sick the first time he had to kill. 

"You can say a prayer if you'd like," Link encourages him, patting his arm. "But they fought well too, I'm sure they'll be rewarded at the next blood moon." 

Still frowning, Yuno nods and stands over the closest body, that of the black bokoblin, to say a few words in a language Link doesn’t understand. He does that for the other two as well, and looks a little more at peace for it. 

"You really did well," Link tells Yuno when he returns at his side. "I know you didn't like doing it, but there was no choice." 

Yuno nods but doesn’t answer, glancing again at the dead bokoblins before sighing. Link doesn’t insist. It probably is all to Yuno's credit that the consequences of his actions matter to him more than they do for Link. 

They resume walking toward through the grassy plain. There is nothing to do but go on.


	19. Gut Check Rock

Two days after leaving the stable, Link decides that Akkala is definitely the most boring place in the world. Since the bokoblins they defeated, Yuno and him haven't seen any intelligent life. They've barely seen any life at all in fact, aside from the occasional boar in the distance, one pack of wolves (tough meat that tastes like pee, and Link doesn't have anything to properly collect the pelt) and many, many insects. 

Boring should be good of course. Nobody dies in a boring place, except perhaps of terminal boredom. And in fairness it gives Link a chance to continue teaching Yuno some fighting basics. Now that they've established Yuno can indeed use a weapon if he needs to, Link starts telling where to aim and how to best attack different monsters. In return Yuno tells him about the creatures that live in Death Mountain and what little he knows of their weaknesses. It's unlikely Link will ever go there, desperate as he is to avoid future encounters with the Divine Beasts, but Yuno seems happy to be the one with knowledge to share. 

According to Yuno's very dubious map, it should take them at least another day or two to get close to the Lynel's territory. Neither of them is particularly careful to keep his voice down or to step lightly and they get to a rockier area on the side of a hill. A few large rocks cut their field of vision, but they’re not worried about that. Perhaps they should have been.

They hear it roar long before they see it, but it's a sound Link could recognise anywhere and he grabs Yuno's hand. 

"What was that?" the goron asks in a low voice. 

"Run," Link hisses, glancing around to look for the creature. 

It must be hidden by the rocks. It probably won't attack if it can't see them, though that doesn't mean they're safe. He remembers too well with what accuracy the one on Ploymus Mountain shot him in spite of the distance. Still if they turn back now they might be able to avoid it. 

Any hope of doing that dies when a little further down the hill the Lynel walks into view and looks their way. 

The first thing Link notices is that its colouring is different from the one he's encountered before, its skin darker, its hair lighter. He doesn't know for sure if Lynels are like bokoblins for that, but if they are it means this one is a good deal stronger than the one he struggled so much against in Zorana. 

The second thing he notices is the bow already in the Lynel's hand. 

"Run!" he screams at Yuno. "Run and don't stop until you can't hear anything, I'll cover you!" 

"But you..." 

"Run now!" 

Hoping to catch the creature's attention, Link dashes toward it, waving his sword. He sees the Lynel hesitate between the two targets before angling his bow in Link's direction. Link stop for a second, letting it aim, then starts running again as the arrows are released. He manages to avoid most of the discharge, only feeling a slight shock that makes him drop his sword. He's close enough now that the Lynel puts away his bow, taking instead a large sword that must be bigger than Link's entire torso. Link picks up his own weapon, and takes a deep breath.

It's not going to be a pleasant fight, but if at least Yuno is safe, Link can try to deal with it or to warp away. 

Except Yuno isn't safe. That fool of a goron didn't run away from danger and is now running toward Link as fast as his short legs will allow. 

The Lynel too saw him. 

"Go away, you idiot!" Link yells, running toward Yuno while the Lynel does the same. "You'll get yourself killed!" 

Link gets to Yuno first and in a foolish mood he stands in front of the goron, opening his arms to shield him even though he knows too well the power of a charging Lynel. The beast is already on them and Link closes his eyes, ready for the impact. 

It doesn't come. Instead there's a brief warm glow, strong enough to be felt through closed eyelids. 

"Now we run!" Yuno shouts, sounding like he might cry as he grabs Link's hand and trots away, pulling the hylian behind him. 

They dash past the Lynel that looks stunned, as if it ran head first into a wall. 

It takes the monster a while to recover from whatever happened, and when it does, Link and Yuno have run far enough that it takes its bow again. 

"It's going to shoot!" Link yells. "We must..." 

Before he can finish that sentence, Yuno pulls Link to him into a crushing hug. It seems a stupid move, until that warm glow is back, surrounding them. The Lynel's arrow come down to hit that barrier, releasing their deadly magic, but no harm comes to them and Link feels as stunned as the Lynel was earlier. 

"Like Daruk," he mumbles, looking up at Yuno who avoids his eyes. 

"We need to keep running," the goron says in a plaintive tone. "They, they... They don't leave their territories, we'll be. We'll be _safe_, we just need to run." 

However shaken he is by his discovery, Link can't contest that. They start running again, glancing back at the monster after them. Once more Yuno has to conjure his magical shield to protect them from arrows. After that, the Lynel appears to give up, but they run a little while longer just to be sure, until they can come climb down the side of the hill and be out of view. Link is so tired by then that he drops on the floor, desperately trying to get his breath back. 

"Hate Lynels," he gasps. 

He did not expect Yuno to answer that, so the silence that follows doesn't surprise him. Link closes his eyes, letting his body recuperate from that mad run. His lungs are on fire and his legs are trembling so bad he doesn't think he'll ever stand up again, but at least they are both alive. 

"Neat trick you have there, buddy," Link says once he feels it won't kill him to speak. 

This time, when Yuno remains silent, it is odd enough that Link cracks an eye open. His goron companion is sitting too, but he has left an frankly excessive distant between the two of them and he is very pointedly not looking at Link. 

"Seriously, you saved us, bud!"

"You know, don't you?" Yuno mumbles, looking down at his hands. "Even said his name... How long have you known?" 

"Known what?" 

"That I'm Daruk's... That he was my dad?" 

Link takes in a sharp breath, because his mind hadn't even gone there, too amazed to be live to think clearly yet. He hadn't even know Daruk had a son. 

Except he did. 

_A warm day. Protective clothes handed to him. Going near the lava. A sacred place. A true honour, few hylians went there, but Daruk was proud and happy and wanted to share with dead boy. A glowing spot in a pool of lava. _

_A goron child waiting to be born. _

_'I've slowed the magic so we can take care of this Ganon thing before he's born,' Daruk had explained. 'My little one will live in a world at peace, thanks to his hylian brother.' _

_Laughter again, beaming pride, a slap on dead boy's shoulder. _

_'What do you say, little guy? I wouldn't mind adopting you, you know.' _

_It was a joke because he'd made the same offer to Zelda. It was serious, because he'd made the same offer to Zelda. Either way, dead boy had wanted nothing more, though it would have been shameful to disown his actual father this way. _

_'I can't wait to meet my little one,' Daruk had sighed, a smile on his face. 'I'm sure he'll be the best kid ever.' _

Link blinks, unable to refrain that memory, and stares at Yuno. All he wants, right now, is to hug the goron and tell him that no matter what others told him growing up, his father would have adored him and been proud of him, because that's who Daruk was. He can't say that without betraying his secret, but right now it doesn't seem so important, not compared to Yuno not knowing how much his father adored him before he was even born. 

Before he can say anything, Yuno rises, his eyes to the distance. 

"Oh. Hey, we made it!" 

Following the goron's gaze, Link gasps. His selfless thought evaporate because right in front of them is the rim. 

Whoever called it the end of the world wasn't exaggerating. The rim is a precipice so deep its bottom is lost to darkness, wider than the zora's reservoir lake. But it's not the rim that really catches Link's attention; it's the high cliffs on the other side of it, so far away and yet linked to Hyrule by a land bridge that starts a little under the cliff on their side, not far from where they are. 

A bridge. 

A way _out_. 

Link doesn't even take a second to think as he takes his glider out of the slate and runs toward the land bridge. He needs to check it, needs to know it's safe for both him and Meep. 

Tears blur his vision. He's going to see Meep again! 

Somewhere behind, Yuno is calling his name but Link doesn't slow, cannot slow. When he's finally close enough to the bridge he jumps, gliding toward it. He's still tired from evading the Lynel but that's forgotten as he runs on that strip of rock, the abyss on one side, the sea on the other. It won't be easy to get out, half the land bridge is overcome with high teeth like rock pillars and on the other side there's steep cliffs, but he knows they can find a way. To make sure Meep is safe, he'll always find a way. 

But the more he runs on the bridge, the harder it gets. A sharp wind rises as he approaches the high rocks, pushing against Link so hard that he can hardly walk anymore. His eyes are crying from the force of the wind and he finds it hard to breathe, but freedom is right there so he keeps trying until a more powerful blast of air blows him away. 

Link takes a moment to catch his breath again, his body and face scrapped after hitting stone. He aches all over but nothing seems actually injured. 

Jumping to his feet, Link runs again toward the rock teeth. Without surprise the wind picks up again, stronger perhaps than the first time but he keeps trying anyway. He needs to cross that bridge and see if there's a safe passage up the cliff. For himself. For Meep. 

His determination isn't enough to prevent the wind from blowing him away again, but it helps him get up and keep trying. Link has come too far and sacrificed too much to give up now. He tries running, he tries walking, jumping, crawling, he tries anything he can think of to just get near the high rocks. If he can touch them he'll be fine, he tells himself. If he can just _ touch _them it'll be proof they can do this. 

He almost does touch the first one. By then night is falling and Link is covered in bleeding scraps and bruises, but he keeps trying because giving up is too terrifying. Crawling is, so far, the best way to move he's found because the wind has less grip on him that way. He is nearly there, nearly touching the rocks, but his fingers hit something else and he half hears a voice before a strong gust hits him from the side, sending him down the precipice of the rim. 

When Link blinks he's not on the land bridge anymore but lying on his back on the hylian cliff, not far from Yuno who screams in surprise at the sight of him. 

"How did you get back here?" the goron exclaims. "I just! I just saw you _ fall _!" 

Trying to remember how to breathe, Link doesn't answer and just stares at the darkening sky. The winds were one thing, a precipice like this one could reasonably be creating them for all he knows. But that fall was familiar, and it doesn't take him long to realise why. 

"It's like on the plateau," Link grunts, rising on shaking legs. "This whole place is like the fucking _ plateau _!" 

Carefully, Link takes a few steps toward the edge of the cliff, only for Yuno to rush as his side and grab his arm.

"I don't think you should go back, goro." 

Link shakes his head. He wasn't going to jump again. What would be the point? He's tried that already on the plateau, he knows how that goes. He can't leave until whoever erected that barrier decides he's jumped through enough hoops. 

"I'm not doing it!" Link screams at the void under his feet. "Fuck you and fuck your sick games, _ I'm not doing it! _" 

There is no answer, but Yuno gently pulls him away from the edge. 

"It's okay, goro," he says soothingly. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Let's. Let's just start a fire though. It's almost night." 

Still staring at the abyss, Link nods. He can make a fire. That's easy. He can roast some apples. That's easy. He can eat in silence and avoid looking at Yuno. That's easy. He can sit near the fire, hugging his knees, feeling the aches in his body. That's easy too. 

What's hard is accepting he is _ stuck _in this dying land. He can't go east to the sea. He can't go north through the rim... And that means west is out too because that blasted canyon encircles half of Hyrule, doesn't it? He could try to go south through the gerudo desert... Laroba said it leads to another land, didn't she? But she also laughed and called it a legend, and Link is tired of false hopes. Hyrule won't let him escape. Hyrule will destroy him, and it will destroy Meep, as soon as Ganon feels like unleashing his power. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Yuno asks after a while, adding some wood to their fire.

"Not really." 

"It's just... I've never heard before of... of someone _ else _wondering what's beyond Hyrule, goro." 

Link hugs his legs tighter against his chest, dropping his forehead on his knees. 

"It doesn't matter," he sighs. "It probably was stupid to even try." 

"Then... Why did you, goro? That looked. That looked _ dangerous _." 

With another sighs, Link peeks up to look at Yuno. The goron looks worried, as if he somehow cares about Link in spite of everything he's done and said so far. Link doesn't want another friend. Not after the way things went before. 

"I used to have friends," he mumbles, hoping a little bit more of the truth will finally be enough for Yuno to stop caring. "I've abandoned both of them. One because he was starting to... realise just what sort of a person I am, and I didn't feel like dealing with that. I didn’t want to be here when he’d start hating me. And the other..." 

Link stops a moment, wondering how to explain just how important Meep is, how great his betrayal. 

"I told you I used to be someone important, right?" Link says, staring at the fire. "But meeting that friend helped me realise I didn't care about that stuff, and that's how I decided to leave. We both dropped everything we had and we ran away together. For a while it was just the two of us and we made such a great team. I never had to worry when she was with me, and I had her back too. We had fun and we were so _ happy _. But something... happened. I put her in danger. She... She was wounded. Badly."

"Did she... die ?" 

Link hesitates on how to answer that, and sighs again. 

"I thought she did. She was saved in the end but I realised Hyrule will never be a safe place for us. For her. I thought I could leave and find us somewhere good. Somewhere nobody could hurt us. Now I don't even know if a place like exists and I..." 

Again he hesitates, fighting the next thought as he has done for days now, refusing to even let it form in his mind. But this is his one chance to say it, so he gives in. 

"I didn't tell her where I was going, and I don't think she'll have waited for me." 

The admission costs him, but it was time he faced it. He was scared for her when he left Wetland Stable, but that's no excuse. He could easily have gone to check on her after he reached Zora's Domain, it would have been easy with a shrine in the city. He could have returned to her after the incident with Sidon. He could be going back to her right now, but he knows he won't. If she waited, he'll have to face her rightful anger at being betrayed. If she's gone, he'll be alone, _ truly _alone... And then he might as well run to Hyrule castle because he can't think of anything worse than having lost Meep's friendship. 

"So that's why you're like that," Yuno mumbles. "I'm so sorry. It must have been hard, goro." 

Link shrugs. 

"What will you do now?" 

Another shrug. What he'll do is sleep, probably. It's been a long day. 

"You said you'd come with me until the rim, goro. What if you came with me the rest of the way?" 

"Worried you'll meet more monsters?" Link huffs. 

"No, I just. I don't think you should stay alone." 

The concern in Yuno's eyes is like getting stabbed in the chest. After all Link told him, all Link has done... 

"I don't do friends anymore." 

"Then. Then we don't have to be friends. But I still think it would be wrong to. To leave you _ alone _."

It’s a bad idea. Link knows he’s already let Yuno get too close, that he cares too much about that damn goron. He should warp away this instant, pick a shrine at random and run there as he did with Sidon.

“Okay buddy,” he says instead. “I’ll stick with you a little longer.”

Yuno smiles at the news. It shouldn’t make something in Link’s chest go soft. But it does.

  
  
  


It only takes them a few more days to reach the hot springs. It's a barren place, nothing but flat red earth and boiling pools and big dumb stone pillar right in the middle. It is the most interesting thing Link has seen since entering Akkala, sure, but only because Akkala is so dull. 

And yet Yuno is impossibly excited to finally reach his goal. He hasn't stopped grinning since he first stepped into a warm puddle. 

"Well I don't see how this place is worth the trouble," Link grumbles as they walk toward the pillar. 

Unlike Yuno, he _ didn't _enjoy walking in one of the pools because apparently his boots have holes. He also isn't fond of the wet heat that's making him sweat buckets, his skin glistening like a zora’s scales.

"It's a goron sacred place," Yuno explains, shaking his fists in barely contained joy. "I can't really say more without permission, goro, but it's very important and I finally made it!" 

It's hard to stay grumpy when faced with such open joy. Link can't help a grin as they continue walking. It's a shitty place, but at least he's in good company. 

When they reach the foot of the pillar, they find two gorons already there, chilling in the heat. They stand to attention when they see visitors coming, then relax again when they recognise Yuno. 

"Oh, it's _ you _," one of them says. "Still think ya can do this? And what's that hylian here for?" 

All of Yuno's good humour melts away in seconds, leaving him hunched and as nervous as he was the first time he talked to Link in South Akkala stable. 

"He. He helped me get here. Boss said. Boss said I shouldn't take the. The mountain path. It's too. Too dangerous. But the long way had monsters too..." 

Glancing at Death Mountain, so close once more, Link can't help but wonder if going through Akkala really was the safer option. He doesn’t think Lynels can live around lava, but he can’t be sure.

"Does he know what this place is?" the other goron asks. 

"No, I. I know we don't talk about that unless. Unless we have permission," Yuno sighs. "But he. He really. He. helped me a lot, Heehl. So I thought maybe..." 

Not all that impressed by Yuno and even less so by Link, the first goron, Heehl, laughs and walks close to the hylian. Too close really, but when Link steps back, the goron steps forward. 

"This hotness here is a training ground for manly goron men!" Heehl shouts, blasting Link's tympans. "We climb this cliff like it's nothin', to prove our grit! If you had some guts in that tiny belly of yours, then you'd try it!" 

Link looks up and grimaces. So that's what Yuno came all this way for? To prove he can climb a stupid rock? Seems a bit much and yet... 

And yet dead boy did the same, long ago. A rite of passage. A friendly challenge offered by Daruk, some time after the business with the Divine Beasts started. It hadn't been easy, not with this heat and with how high that pillar goes, but he'd managed because... because... 

"It's not hylian business," the second goron grunts in a tone that doesn't allow protest. "When d'ya want to try, Yunobo?" 

Surprised by that name, Link gives up on trying to remember how dead boy managed to handle that challenge. Yunobo? So Yuno really lied about his name? How _ dare _ he! Link is the only one _ allowed _ to lie, because he's running away from fate and duty, whereas Yuno is just... running _ towards _it. Well, maybe not running as such, because that doesn't work well on short goron legs, but he's heading there anyway. 

While Link tries to digest being lied to, Yuno mumbles something about needing a little rest before he can try. 

"A real goron would try right away!" Heehl mocks. "Right, Bayge ?" 

"Hey, he's been walking non stop for ages to get here!" Link protests when Yunobo doesn't defend himself. "Aren't the guardians of Gut Check Rock supposed to be a little encouraging?" 

"For a real goron sure, but it's the fifth time Yunobo tries, right Bayge ?" 

Rather than to take a side, Bayge is looking attentively at Yunobo with a deep frown. 

"Kabetta is in the middle of climbin’, " Bayge grunts. "Can't have two people going at the same time, so he'd have to wait anyway. Go eat something, Yunobo. We've got some basalt if ya'd like. And ya can use our fire to cook, hylian, but we got no food for the likes of _ you _."

Yunobo thanks them as profusely as if they had received him with open arms. Link glares at them, though he feels he understands better why Yunobo never took too much offense to his manners. Odd, though. Dead boy’s memories of gorons made them seem less abrasive.

"Well that wasn't the warmest welcome I've ever had," Link sighs as they get to the guardians’ camp. Then, recalling his first meeting with Sidon, he chuckles. "Not nearly the _ worst _one I've had either, though." 

"Nobody ever has such a hard time," Yunobo mumbles, rummaging through the rocks until he finds a small one. "I’ve failed a lot. Boss says I'm a bit of a disgrace and he's. He's not wrong." 

Pulling an apple out of the slate and crunching into it, Link takes a good, hard look at Yunobo who is meekly munching on his pebble. 

It doesn't make _ sense _ for this big guy to be having trouble with a climbing challenge, not when even dead boy managed ( _ but dead boy _cheated_. Green eyes, laughter, a terrible stink... How did dead boy get up there? _). Yunobo is strong, or at least his upper body is... But all gorons have weaker legs so that can't be the problem, right?

Or perhaps it is. With proportions like that, Yunobo really might have trouble using his legs to help himself the way the others can. Not to mention strength isn't much good if Yunobo doesn't know how to use it... And Link knows that's the case. 

"You're very quiet, goro," Yunobo says. "And you're looking very serious." 

"I'm always serious," Link retorts with a grin. "Anyway, this is a neat place here. Do all gorons take this challenge, or..." 

Yunobo nods, looking up at the top of the pillar with a sigh. "It's. It's a tradition. I'm. I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say. You're not one of us, goro." 

Link nods. Even Daruk hadn't said anything until the rock's guardians had allowed it. Gorons didn't often bother with secrets, but when they did they were pretty serious about it.

"It's where goron boys become goron _ men _ ," Bayge says, coming closer to sit down near Yunobo. "No hylian is allowed here without a goron to vouch for him. This right here is our hard-core training ground, string bean. This is where we come to get _ ripped. And. Shredded _." 

The insistent way he's looking at Link makes him a little uncomfortable. Gorons live very long, and it's so hot and humid that Link has pushed back his hood. He doesn't know if Bayge was already one of the guardians a century ago, because he’s not good at telling gorons from one another. At least gorons are also bad at telling hylians apart. 

"Sounds pretty cool," Link says, running one hand in his hair and trying to push as much of it forward as he can to hide his face. He can’t see like that, but that means he can’t be seen either. "I'm feeling pretty honoured, let me tell you. Thanks for inviting me, Yuno!"

“You. You’re welcome,” Yunobo mutters. “You helped me a lot.”

“Looks like ya helped yerself too,” Bayge grunts, looking at Yunobo’s club. “First time ya got a weapon. And looks like ya used it, didn’t ya?”

Yunobo nods. “We. We had some trouble with. With bokoblins.”

“Yeah, he killed some to protect me!” Link intervenes, because humility is a stupid quality to have and Yunobo needs someone to boast on his behalf. “You should have seen it, I was nearly gutted alive but wham! Yuno completely smashed that bokoblin’s head in just one blow!”

To Link’s absolute lack of surprise, Yunobo looks extremely embarrassed to hear his exploits told this way, rubbing his hands together and staring at his feet. 

“Seems ya’ve grown a bit since last time,” Bayge grunts. “Ya know, Kabetta just came down. How ‘bout ya try climbin’? It’s fine if ya don’t do it the first time, it’s just to try.”

“If. If you think so.”

With this encouragement, Yunobo goes back to the foot of the pillar, followed by Link and Bayge. Kabetta and Heehl are there, the first breathless from his training and the other looking still down on Yunobo.

“Don’t mind him, bud,” Link orders him. “If he says anything, I’ll just shout so you don’t have to hear him. I know what you can do, and he doesn’t. I believe in you!”

Yunobo smile gratefully, and gets climbing. 

He starts strong, and as Link suspected he relies entirely on his arms to go up. After the midway point though, Yunobo slows more and more until he loses his grip and falls down to the ground. Link rushes to his side, even though the guardians don’t appear too concerned. Gorons are sturdy, so they might be right not to worry, but seeing Yunobo fall from so high still dealt Link a heavy blow.

"And he failed," Heehl sneers. 

Yunobo ignores him, smiling at Link once he has recovered from his fall. 

"Did you see how high I went? That's because you were encouraging me, goro! I think this time, I can do it!" 

"Yeah you were amazing, buddy!" Link exclaims. "And I'll keep encouraging you until you manage!" 

"He fell, that's nothing amazing," Heehl grumbles. "If Daruk were still here..." 

Link jumps to his feet and pokes a finger at the goron's chest. 

"If Daruk were here you wouldn't _ dare _ to talk this way about anyone taking the challenge!" Link snarls, letting out an anger that might be dead boy's as much as his own. "No matter how many times they had to try! He was a kind man and he valued _ effort _more than strength!" 

All four gorons stare at him, struck by that burst of emotion, until Bayge nods. 

"Bean streak isn't wrong. Daruk wouldn't like this," he grunts, before turning and smiling at Yunobo. "You did great. That's the highest you've ever gone, and you'll keep going higher."

“Thank you!” Yunobo mumbles, looking as if he might cry. “I’ll do my best!”

With this, Bayge decides Yunobo has done enough for that day and sends them both to rest. 

Link gets to rediscover the joy of being in a hot spring and decides this place isn’t so dreadful after all. He doesn’t even mind being shirtless around Yunobo, because hylian bodies are so alien to gorons that he doesn’t seem to realise it’s abnormal to have that huge, pinkish mark on his chest. It’s easier to handle indifference than the worry Sidon had expressed over it.

In the morning, Yunobo makes a second attempt at climbing. Link tells him to go a little slower so he still has energy for the second half of the pillar. It sounded like a good idea, but he doesn’t work so well. Yunobo doesn’t get much higher than the first time before losing his grip again.

Link pats his shoulder. After some days maybe Yunobo will manage... But already that second failure seems to be getting to him, and there's no telling when the guardians will get tired of being nice. 

How _ did _dead boy manage? Link remembers having the same problem, the strength and technique were there. Getting tired. Green eyes, black feathers. Daruk had thought the challenge would be good for Revali too. Teach him some measure, some humbleness. That didn't work of course, because Revali... 

Revali had _ cheated _, and shown Link how to cheat too. 

It had taken some convincing, some edging on, because dead boy had been _ serious _about this like he was serious about everything. But he'd fallen several times and he was getting worried about disappointing Daruk. It wasn't really cheating anyway, Revali had said. Just a little trick, just a way to make the challenge manageable for a non-goron. 

Already, dead boy had been half ready to follow Revali in any stupid plan he might have, just to see those green eyes glint in amusement. He had started to realise that Revali wasn't naturally that angry, no more than he was naturally so stern himself, and he was wondering if maybe with each other they could stop pretending... But no, that came later. Still, that day, it hadn't taken much for him to agree to using the elixir that... 

"The _ elixir _ !" Link exclaims, startling Yunobo. " _ That's _ how !" 

Yunobo looks at him as if he's gone mad. And maybe he has, to rely on something from dead boy's memories, but he knows it could work. 

Link grins at Yunobo. "What if I took the challenge with you, buddy? We have always made a good team so far, I'm sure we can do this too if we're together!" 

"I. I'm not sure that..." 

Ignoring any protests, Link jumps in front of Bayge. 

"Hey. I can take that challenge too, right? Non gorons. It's been done before. Am I wrong?" 

"Not often. But I gotta say... Ya do seem like a real man of action. Almost like you have a goron air about ya. If you want it that bad, you can try!" 

"Awesome! Perfect! I just need a moment to prepare. Do you have anything I could use to cook? I need a real meal if I'm doing this."

The best Bayge can find him is an old concave shield to hold over a fire. It's not ideal, but Link blocks it in place with some of the bent swords he still carries in the slate and gets to work. 

Finally, after _ months _ of picking up everything he finds and stashing it in the slate, the habit pays off because he has everything he needs to practice a little alchemy. Crickets? He's got _ forty _of those, because they taste nice when roasted, and catching them was a fun game to play with Meep. Something from a monster? He's got horns from some lizalfos he killed back when he was helping people in Lurelin! Then it's easy, just throw them in some hot water and wait until you get a disgusting, gooey green liquid with the foulest smell in the world and a taste to wake the dead. 

"That's a normal hylian meal?" Kabetta says, looking at the mixture. "You call us weird for eating delicious and then you go and eat... _ that _."

"It's a special thing for special occasions," Link retorts with a grin. "Yunobo, you've got to have some." 

"I. I'd rather not, goro," Yunobo mumbles, glancing nervously at his preparation. 

"I'd like to try it," Heehl says. 

"It's a friend dish, _ you're _not my friend," Link grunts. "Come on Yunobo! We drink some and then we get climbing! It's important to me that we share it, please?"

It should make Link feel guilty that he's implying he sees Yunobo as a friend, especially when the goron's eyes lit up that way. He doesn't do friends anymore after all. But this is for Yunobo's own good, and he does like the big guy, so it's fine. 

The elixir's taste is worse than in Link's memories, but the effect is exactly as potent as he remembers, his body nearly vibrating with energy. One glance tells him Yunobo is getting the same effect. The goron looks a little distressed and opens his mouth, but one wink from Link is enough to reassure him. 

"Let's do this!" Link exclaims, dashing to the pillar. 

It's not that it doesn't take effort to climb after drinking the elixir. Link still feels his own weight pulling on his arms and legs, still sweats a bucket as he moves up. But the pain in his muscles is lessened, the tiredness doesn't matter, nor the burn in his lungs. As long as the elixir runs through him, he can do anything. 

"Come on Yuno, we're doing great!" he shouts midway up. "Show them!" 

Yunobo doesn't answer, a little smarter than Link, but he grins and keeps going. 

It doesn't take them too long to reach the top of the pillar, almost at the same time. Yunobo looks elated for a moment. 

Until the effects of the elixir wear off, and they collapse as one, breathless and aching. 

"Fuck, forgot... that," Link pants. "Let's... never... again" 

"Hylian food... is bad..." Yunobo gasps, grinning wide. "Terrible... cook..." 

Link chuckles, as much as he can when he's still struggling to breathe. A realisation then hits him.

"Fuck. You'll have to climb back down, buddy."

"No. I. I live here now," Yunobo groans. "Someone else can help with Rudania, goro." 

They stay side by side, laying on the rock and looking at the sky. Even once he can breathe and move normally, Link is in no hurry to move. It's not bad to be next to Yunobo, and maybe he doesn't regret sticking with the goron after all. He still doesn't want a friend, but it's nice to have someone around. 

"Wasn't there a thing like that near the stables too, goro?" Yunobo asks, staring at something behind them. "It had blue lights, but it looked the same." 

Sitting up, Link can't help a grimace at the sight of a shrine. The blasted things really are everywhere. Can't the sheikahs leave him alone for a moment? This isn't even a convenient place to warp to, it's in the middle of nowhere, so why put it here? Did Hylia somehow guess that he would be slacking off, and order her servants to sprinkle them around as reminders of his duty? If so, it's not working. 

Because the other thing Link can see now is the land on the other side of the rim. And here, on top of this pillar, he sees more than unforgiving cliffs. There are green plains over there. Something that might be a forest. There is a world outside of Hyrule, and it looks beautiful. This, here, is where he first heard Revali talk about the end of the world, the rito’s voice filled with longing. He would give anything to go there, he’d said. If there weren't that precipice and those stupid winds he would have tried. At the time, dead boy hadn’t understood that desire. Link does.

Perhaps it's because of the shrine's proximity while he's looking at the world out there, but Link thinks of that weird statue, back in Hateno. 

_ Sooner or later you will see if you want to resist fate, I am your only ally _, it said when Link asked it about leaving Hyrule. He doesn't like the idea of passing a contract with it, but maybe, if he exhausts every other option... But only if there is no choice. First he will try the gerudo desert, see if there is a passage to Holodrum like Laroba said. Old legends can hold a spark of truth. He knows it, being one himself. 

Just in case, Link waits for Yunobo to start climbing down and activates the shrine. It doesn't seem like a useful place to warp to, but better safe than sorry. 

At the foot of the pillar, the three guardians are waiting and they congratulate Yunobo and Link on their performance. They seem genuinely happy for Yunobo, no matter their earlier reservations about him, and Link is glad of that. 

"You've done a good job," Bayge says. "A mighty fine pair of brothers you are." 

"A pair of _ what _?" 

Yunobo looks away, while Bayge laughs.

"Didn't think of that, eh, bean streak? You took the challenge together, you're brothers now!"

"It's just an. An old thing people. People used to say, goro," Yunobo mumbles. "You don't. We don't. You're hylian so it's not..." 

"It's fine," Link cuts him. "Never had a brother before, but I can't think of someone better for that." 

Friends are off-limit, but he never promised himself anything about acquiring siblings. When Yunobo pulls him into a tight hug, Link grins, certain this was a good decision. Friends are complicated, but a brother he might manage to keep. 

After a few ceremonial words in a language Link doesn’t understand, Yunobo and him are declared adult gorons. It leaves Link wondering if he’s even fully adult by hylian standards anyway. Nobody ever asked him to prove anything so far, so if there ever were tests and ceremonies, he must look like he passed them already.

To celebrate the start of a new age for them, Yunobo suggests they go relax a moment in the hot springs. Link is more than happy with that idea, because the reckless efforts encouraged by the elixir have left him somewhat aching. Hot water is a blessing fare more pleasant than anything Hylia ever forced upon him.

"So what will you do now?" Yunobo asks as it gets darker around them. “You only agreed to come this far, goro.”

Link shrugs, more relaxed than he’s been in ages. Nothing comes close since he left Meep, except perhaps that day at Toto Lake. "Not sure yet. Head south maybe? Gerudo desert sounds interesting."

It’s on the other side of the country compared to Akkala, but he can warp on the plateau to make that shorter.

"I know you said you travel alone,” Yunobo says carefully, “but... I don't think you should, goro. You feel like someone who needs a friend." 

Link chuckles nervously. "Are you asking me to come with you, little brother?" 

"If you like, goro. I'd be happy of that! But you... you miss your friend, don't you? The one you left behind. Maybe. Maybe it's time you checked if. If she waited." 

No amount of hot water could stop Link from tensing, his chest constricting so tight he almost pukes from it.

"I'm not sure I can. If she left..." 

"If she left, you can come to Goron City, goro. I live with the boss, but we can make a little space for you, so you have somewhere to come home too after the desert." 

Home. 

When is the last time Link had a home? The plateau was never that, so it was before the calamity. His parents' house... But it was a house, not a home. Not after picking the sword. Home... Home was Mipha's smile, Daruk's laughter, Urbosa's kindness, Revali's trust. Home was Meep. Home was the few people he could trust. 

He doesn't mind adding Yunobo to that short list. 

"Even if she waited I'll try to come say hi," Link promises, relaxing a little at the thought. "I think she'd like you. And... Thanks. It's going to be easier to go back like this." 

“We’re brothers, goro. You were here for me and I’m here for you.”

More comforted than he’d care to admit now that he has a backup plan, Link closes his eyes and nearly falls asleep in the boiling water. A risky move if he were alone, but Yunobo wakes him when he starts to slip to low and suggests they get out. Night has fallen and Link’s half freezing in the cool air, but it makes him feel alive in a way nothing else could.

It also makes him feel very, very cold, so he hurries to put his shirt and trousers back. Yunobo too is dressing again, which should be easier for him, and yet he’s staring at something inside his bag.

“Lin? Can I… ask a favor, goro?”

“Anything for my little brother. Unless it’s difficult, in which case maybe not.”

“Can you help me put this on?” Yunobo asks, handing him a piece of fabric. “Could you tie it on my neck? I’m. I’m not too great at knots,” he explains, waving his hands that are as big as Link’s torso and very much not suited to tying knots.

"It's nice," Link says, staring blankly at a scarf he's seen before. Blue like the lights of the Divine Beasts. Something to remind them they were a team. Daruk had asked to have a second one to keep for ceremonies, in case the first one got damaged. 

"It belonged to my dad, goro. I know I'm still not worthy but I. I am on the right track, I hope." 

Link nods, tying the scarf to the emblem on Yunobo's neck. 

"Suits you. Blue's a good colour for you. Your dad would be proud." 

"I'm not sure of that, goro." 

"I am. He would be so _ proud _," Link insists, letting dead boy speak through him. "I think he would be proud of you no matter what you did, so if he could see you trying so hard to be good he'd be the happiest father in the world. I think his only regret would be that he can't help you through all this stuff." 

He wishes Daruk could see his kid now. His son that didn’t get to grow in a world at peace, because dead boy wasn’t strong enough. Who will never know what peace is like, because Link refuses to play the Goddess’s sick games and to die for her again. Daruk would be furious at Link.

But that’s not his problem. He’s already dealing with dead boy’s anger about a million things, he’s not about to start caring about the feelings of people who don’t actually live inside his head like the ghost of a hero does.

“That’s nice of you,” Yuno sniffs, unable to refrain some tears. “When you say it, you make it sound like you know what he’d think and that’s. That’s nice to hear. I really want to make him proud, goro.”

Link forces himself to smile, but it’s getting harder. He remembers Sidon getting angry when he realised who he was. How would Yunobo react? Would he be furious? Or worse would he be disappointed to find his new brother is none other than the man who couldn’t prevent his father’s death?

But for now Yunobo looks happy, smiling and checking his reflection in the pool, adjusting the scarf on his neck.

"When will you leave?" he asks, looking down at the image on the water.

Link looks down at the cloak in his hands. The decision to return to Wetland Stable was hard to make. Waiting will only bring back his hesitation. Link puts on the cloak and takes the sheikah slate out of its pouch. 

"Hey, Yuno? Check out what _ I _can do!" 

Under the flabbergasted goron's eyes, Link touched the screen at Wetland Stable's shrine, grinning as blue light surrounded him. 

Link does not linger at the stable, following the road along the woods. It is a long way, taking him almost the entire rest of the night. It gives him plenty of time to think about what he will say. He is planning a full speech to explain his long absence. He’ll tell Meep how worried he became after seeing her die. How hard he tried to find a safe passage out of Hyrule. How much he missed her and kept thinking about her. How he’s never abandoning her again.

Link is still trying to figure out how to say some of that when, at a turn of the road, he finds himself nose to nose with Horse. 

Meep is on its back of course. With the sun’s first lights coming behind the animal and its rider he can’t see her face well. But it can only be her. Nobody else would bother with such a shitty mount. 

With a growl, she points a crude spear in hand at Link's chest. She lets it fall to the ground when Link pulls back the hood of his cloak. 

"**Hey Meep** ," he mumbles, all his beautiful speech forgotten as he struggles to remember how bokoblin language is even spoken. **"I'm back**." 

The silence lasts so long that Link second guesses himself, wondering if this is really his friend. He recognises her though. He'd know her even surrounded by a hundred, a thousand other bokoblins. And yet she's not reacting to his return, doing nothing but stare at him. 

"**I know I left long** ," Link says when he can't stand the silence anymore, struggling to find even simple words. It's been weeks and he's forgotten so much already. " **I think... Danger. I'm scared. Danger for you. I protect you. I go."**

Meep's eyes narrow, but she still doesn't say a thing. 

"**You are angry?**" 

She snorts at the stupid question. Link sighs. He's ruined this. No matter his intentions, he's made a mess of what they had. 

"**I'm sorry, Meep.**" 

"** _Good_ ** ," she replies, jumping down from Horse. " **You're an idiot.** " Grinning, she pulls Link into a hug. " **My idiot. Next time, I ** ** _don't _ ** **wait.**"


	20. Kara Kara Bazaar

No matter how much Link would love to catch up with Meep, the fact is he _desperately_ needs some sleep. He got no rest since yesterday morning save for almost falling asleep in the hot spring, and it has been a rather intense day to say the least. Meep barely manages to bring him to her camp before he collapses. 

It’s past noon when Link wakes up, and the first thing he sees is Meep sitting under a tree right next to him, carving a spear from a branch. He can't help but smile at the thought she really is there, in spite of the way he left. He'll do better from now on, and try to deserve a friend who trusted him that much. 

The first step to gain her forgiveness, Link decides, is food. The slate is filled with fish and snails and mushrooms he found while in Zora's Domain, as well as a few things found in Akkala. There's no doubt some of that would make for a nice peace offering. 

"**Want eat?**" he asks, cringing again at how bad his bokoblin speech has gotten.

Meep looks up from her work and nods as she puts down her spear. 

"**Show me what's in the precious stone**," she asks, holding her hand for the slate. 

She seems happy enough with what she finds on its screen. Unlike the hylians Link has met so far, she is _ delighted _ by the quantity of snails. She hasn't had any since Lurelin, and she missed them. Link makes a note to perhaps warp to the domain to grab some more one night, just to surprise her… but the thought of maybe stumbling upon Sidon kills that plan in the egg. No way he’s risking _ that _.

"**You have a lot of food** ," Meep notes, chewing on a snail as she gives Horse a carrot. " **Good. You take care of yourself when you're gone.**" 

"**I ** ** _am _ ** **good**," Link retorts, a little offended she doubted his survival capacities. 

Meep snorts at that, patting Horse's neck before coming to sit next to Link. 

"**You are back. What do we do now? We return to the sea?**" 

Link tenses. Right, that was the plan, wasn't it? Check Hateno and then go live in Lurelin as a guard, eating fish and fighting stuff until Ganon destroys everything. 

"**I want see thing** ," Link explains, taking back the slate to show her the map. All of it is still blank save for the plateau, but he vaguely knows where the gerudo come from so he points at the bottom left corner. " **Here. We go here.**" 

Meep's eyes narrow at the news. 

"**We are here** ," she points out, pocking at the yellow icon showing their position, far up the right side of the screen. " **It's ** ** _very _ ** **far.**" 

"**We have Horse. We have time.**" 

Still Meep doesn't look very convinced, and Link can't blame her. It is pretty far, now that he looks at the empty map. It'd be easier if they could warp to the Great Plateau and start from there. It'd save them days and days of travel, but Link doubts the slate's magic can transport something as big as Horse, and he's certain Meep won't abandon her other best friend, the one who _ didn’t _betray her. He won't even bother suggesting it. 

"**Then we go back to the sea?** " Meep insists. " **The good place with good fish.**" 

"**Maybe. If we find nothing good.**" 

Link distractedly swaps the screen to their inventory, and grabs an apple from there. Lurelin is hands down the best place for them in Hyrule. No memories, nobody who wants to kill them, no handsome prince to play games with. Lurelin is their safest option and yet Link hopes he won't have to go back there. 

Sensing his hesitation, Meep growls low. 

"**What happened? You feel different. You are ** ** _careful _ ** **now?**" 

She manages to make that sound almost like an insult. Link shrugs, and bites into his apple. It doesn’t taste as sweet as he would prefer.

"**Nothing happen.**" 

"**You are gone two months** ," Meep retorts, counting on her fingers, " **you have a new bow and sword. You speak to me ** ** _careful_ ** **. But nothing happened?**" 

"**Nothing big**," Link grunts, taking another bite. 

That gets him another low growl from Meep, then an angry sigh. 

"**Why not go back to the sea?** " she insists. " **It was nice. You smiled a lot. You laughed a lot. And you said we can leave by the sea.**" 

"**The boats aren't good** ," Link reminds her, his smile falling. " **We can't leave by the sea. There is no way.**" 

"**You tried?**" 

Link shrugs, putting down the tasteless apple. He didn’t need to try. Others tried for him. 

"**That's why you were gone long?** " Meep insists. " **You were trying to leave?**"

"**Not without you**," Link retorts fiercely. It's half a lie, or less than half. Even at the rim he just wanted to test if an escape was possible, he'd never have actually left without his best friend. 

"**Then why so long?** " Meep nags him. " **What did you do for so long? Last night I give you time, now I want to know.**" 

"**I did nothing important.**" 

That gets him a punch to the shoulder, just strong enough to make it clear Meep is pissed off. 

"**You don't lie to ** ** _me_ ** ," she growls, teeth bared and looking as dangerous as a bokoblin ever will. " **You can lie to hylians, but not to me. If you think badly of me and start lying, I'm leaving. Together we are ** ** _honest_ ** **!**" 

"**I didn't want...**" 

"**First you leave for so long!** " she grunts. " **Now you lie! We were ** ** _friends_ ** **!**" 

"**We ** ** _are _ ** **friends!”** Link exclaims, horrified at the thought of them being strangers, of still losing her even though she waited and he came back. ** “I tell you. I don't want to, but I tell you.**" 

It takes Link tremendous effort to force the words out of his throat, and he feels nearly nauseous from it because he’d rather forget the things he’s done and felt while he was away from her. Sentence after sentence he tells Meep an account of the past few weeks, finding his way to Zora’s Domain, meeting the zora, realising their dire situation. He doesn't even try to hide that he is responsible for Ruta's purification, hoping Meep won't hate him for going against the will of Ganon. She doesn't seem to mind that in the least, but her ears perk up every time he mentions Sidon. 

"**Sounds like a good friend** ," she says with a wide smirk when Link tries to gloss over that day on Lake Toto. " ** _Very_ ** ** good friend.**" 

"**Not a friend** ," Link protests. " **He just helped.**" 

That only makes Meep grin wider. 

"** _Not a friend_ ** ," she mocks, patting his shoulder. " **Fine. For this, you ** ** _can _ ** **lie. But someday, maybe I meet the big fish?**" 

"**I think not**," Link retorts, hurrying to explain how Sidon found the slate and became furious. It’s still hard to think about that, to know that he’s lost a good man’s trust. A friend’s trust, even if he doesn’t want to think of the zora that way, doesn’t want to think about him at all if he can help him. He betrayed Sidon’s trust, but that’s the zora’s fault for being foolish enough to trust him at all. 

Somehow, talking about Yunobo is easier. Link's heart doesn't race as widely as when he spoke about Sidon. That's because the goron is a _ real _friend, Link decides. There was no manipulation, no twisted games, no kisses, just good old honest friendship. The only reason his heart beats this fast when he thinks of Sidon is a vague guilt that he seduced the prince too well. That has to be it.

As he chats about Yunobo, Meep nods along. It's a little hard to explain to her the concept of brothers when he still can't remember half of what he knew of boko speech, but at the end of his explanation she's smiling

"**Him too. Someday, I meet rock boy.**" 

"**Maybe. He also wants to meet.**" 

At least, Yunobo said that before they went their separate ways. The goron is a nice boy to everyone, but Link doesn't think he would have said that if he didn't mean it. 

"**You did a lot** ," Meep notes when she realises Link finished his tale. " ** _Very_ ** ** busy.**" 

"**You were busy too?**" Link asks. 

Meep grins as she nods and starts her own story. She ran into some troubles with the local bokoblins but handled it, and a few times she accidentally scared a couple of mushroom enthusiasts who kept trying to forage near her camp. Each time they ran away dropping half their prize, so she's been eating a lot of mushrooms lately. Even now she has some left from the hylians' last visit. 

To make her point as she explains this, Meep bites into a huge truffle and munches on it happily. Link can’t help a shiver of delighted horror at the sight. He knows just how expensive those used to be before the calamity. When Meep shares with him he discovers he's not that fond of the taste, but he'll keep eating them for the sheer joy of having shared Hyrule’s most expensive mushroom with his best friend. 

"**I get my things and we leave** ," Meep announces when she's done eating. " **We go to that place you want to see. Is there good food there?**" 

Link nods, thinking of the paprika he traded with Laroba. And there's more than that, dead boy's memory hint. Fruits unlike anything they've ever seen in Hyrule. 

"**We have fun there**," Link promises. 

  
  


The journey south is a rather uneventful one. They encounter a number of bokoblin gangs, yes, but never anything that could seriously threaten them. Not when the world's best team is back together. Not when Link's aim with a bow has improved thanks to training in Zora's Domain while Meep taught herself to be deadly with a spear so she could fight on Horse. 

Things are good, but it's a little odd for both of them when the road south has them pass right under the Great Plateau. Neither of them speaks much during those few days spent in the shadow of their former prison, but Link makes a rude gesture at it when the road finally takes them away from it and Meep laughs. Hyrule too is a prison but at least it offers a little variety. 

Just how varied is something they discover when they reach Gerudo Canyon. It's the driest land either of them has ever seen. There's little grass. There's hardly any plants at all in fact, especially once they are properly inside the canyon. It is a desolate place, where for a while they meet no sign of life save for marks on excavation on the cliffs around them. 

That's where they found Vah Nabooris encased in stone, Link remembers even though he’s trying to ignore dead boy’s memories. His father took him there as sheikah workers were still doing their best to free the Divine Beast from the ground. They had found guardians too with the Beast, but one activated near the sheikah camp and went rogue. Link remembers fear and panic, that infernal beeping as the machine took aim at him. He can see himself grabbing the closest thing to him to protect himself and somehow, with that pot lid he'd managed to deflect the guardian's killing light back to it. 

Not long after that, there had been the sword, and that had marked the end of his free life. All because of a stroke of luck and an old lid. 

Link breathes easier when they leave the excavation site behind. 

If he's honest, Link isn't fond of this canyon even without dead boy's memories. For starters, there's hardly anything worth eating. Few plants means few animals, save for some lizards and the birds that eat them before being in turn eaten by Link and Meep. The birds do taste good, especially when their meat is rubbed in paprika, but they mostly have to rely on the slate to feed themselves. Feeding Horse is a real concern, because what little grass they find is dry and not to its taste. That blasted beast doesn't look unwell in the least, but it keeps begging Meep for carrots and apples that she happily provides. Link can tell she is getting worried for it even if she doesn't need to. It's a real relief for her when they finally reach a stable. 

That relief isn't shared by Link. They found the shrine attached to it before getting to the stable, but even from there he can hear familiar music coming from it. It's that big blue rito from so long ago, the one who seemed to recognise the slate. As they approach Link makes an effort not to look at Kass who, aside for a slight slowing of his melody, doesn't react to his presence. Maybe Link worried for nothing. 

The stable's owner, Piaffe, is a little hesitant about letting a bokoblin inside, but Link buys his compliance with some meat and fresh mushrooms. It might have been easier to hide Meep and make her wear her cloak, but that's how they got in trouble at Kakariko, isn't it? The sheikahs might have reacted less aggressively if they hadn't been sneaking around. They never met such violence in Lurelin and Hateno after all, and each time Meep had been plainly there.

Besides, Meep _ hates _that cloak. 

With beds secured for the night and while they wait for dinner, Meep goes to take care of Horse while Link asks around about the area. To his surprise they're less than a day away from entering gerudo desert, which an old man called Pirou describes to him as a sand-filled oven of death, where Link is absolutely certain to perish in a gruesome and painful way. 

"The hydromelons that grow there are good though," Pirou concedes with great reluctance. "We get them from Kara Kara Baazar sometimes, but they're never as good when they get here. Same when we order mushrooms from Hyrule. I’d kill for some decent, _ fresh _rushrooms. "

"Sounds like a shitty place to live," Link remarks. 

"There's good money to be made," Pirou protests. "We get a lot of gerudo starting their tour of Hyrule. And hylian travelers leave us their horses to go in the desert, since there's nothing to feed them. And if some travelers don't return, there's a profit to be made there too. I know a man who knows people who are always looking for some horses." 

That's a little more bleak and practical than Link likes. It does remind him that they need to think of their own mount though.

A cruel thought crosses his mind. It'd be an easy way to get rid of an animal he's disliked from the first second. Bring it to the desert, let the elements kill it, and act surprised about it. Meep would probably never know that Link had been warned against this… Link quickly pushes that thought away, ashamed of himself for even considering it. Horse is a stupid monster, but it's part of the team. They've gone through too much the three of them. And he still remembers how that blasted beast kept sniffing Meep after Kakariko, pushing her with its nose to try and get her moving. They hate each other, that beast and him, but they do both love Meep.

And if Horse is a little shit, so is Link anyway. He can't murder that animal just because it has a bad temperament. 

That means their only option is leaving Horse at the stable, and hope nobody will try to buy it if they take too long coming back for it. Link feels his stomach twist and turn as he returns to Meep’s side, preparing himself to share the news with her. He finds her brushing that stupid beast’s mane and redoing its braid, as she does every few days. Horse seems to enjoy the attention, but the other animals are clearly made nervous by Meep’s presence. 

"**They say horses can't go in the desert**," Link says as he comes closer. 

"**We don't leave it behind**," Meep retorts with a grin, looking ready for one of their joke arguments. They haven’t done that too often since Link’s return because he is worried about it turning into a real argument… as it probably will in a moment.

"**I'm serious. No food for horses in the desert**." 

The grin on Meep's face falls down, replaced by a frown. 

"**We don't leave it behind** ," she repeats, more firmly. " **It can't go, we don't go**." 

"**I need to go. I need to see something**." 

Meep growls, loud enough to worry the other animals. Horse, unphased by her anger, bumps his nose against her shoulder to demand she continue brushing him.

"**You want to leave the land without it!** " Meep accuses, aggressively petting her four legged friend. " **We don't do that! We're a band, we stay together!**" 

"**We just go check!** " Link promises. " **If it works, we come back and find a way to bring it with us.**" 

"**Are you lying again?**" 

It's a fair question to ask at this point, when Link used to often suggest they get rid of the animal, when Meep has seen him says just anything that hits his fancy just to get what he wants. It still stings to know Meep doesn't fully trust him anymore. He'll have to work on that, won't he? 

"**You come with me** ," he points out. " **You will see I don't leave without it. If you like, I give you the precious stone," ** he adds, taking the slate from its pouch and handing it to her. ** "Then if I do something you don't like, you can come back here.**"

"**Give the bag too** ," Meep demands as she grabs the slate. " **Easier to carry like that.**" 

Again, Link feels hurt to realise just how much his best friend distrusts him. He half hoped that just offering the slate would be enough to mollify her and she wouldn't take it. Link is a man of his word though, at least with Meep. He unties the pouch for his belt and gives it to her. 

"**I take good care of it** ," Meep promises. " **And I know you don't leave. I know you are good. Now, you know it too.**" 

  
  


Dinner isn't bad, but it's far from being the best thing they've had at a stable. Pirou wasn't kidding when he said they have trouble getting their hands on fresh products. Still, bread and cheese isn't a bad thing so Link doesn't complain. 

They're almost done eating when that rito, Kass, comes close and asks if he can sit with them. 

"Plenty of space elsewhere, buddy," Link mutters. "It's almost empty." 

"Yes, but this is the only table where I might talk to you," Kass replies as he sits down. 

One dinner at a stable without someone bothering him. Just _ one _. That's all Link wants, yet his dreams are thwarted again. 

"I see you have decided to hide the slate," Kass notes in a low voice, glancing at Link’s side. "A wise decision, especially in this region. Whoever carries it might find more enemies than friends here." 

"Don't know what you're talking about, so your threat won't work." 

Link exchanges a quick look with Meep who picks up on his nervousness. They left their weapons near the bed, but she's fierce even empty handed and Link is sure he can think of something if he needs to. This man is just a big blue chicken and if he needs, Link can bite.

"This is a warning, not a threat," Kass assures them with an appeasing hand gesture. "The gerudo Highlands serve as a base for a group calling itself the Yiga clan. It has sworn the destruction of the hero of Hyrule... Or so they say, anyway. I have heard the truth might be... More complex."

Link shrugs. Yigas have never been much of a threat, all things considered.

"Not sure how that concerns me, buddy." 

"Really? Then consider this,” Kass suggests, his voice dropped to a whisper. “You are a young man of blond hair and blue eyes, traveling the world with a most unusual companion, and whom I saw in possession of a unique artifact I, _ and others _, know for a fact was left with the hero of Hyrule after he fell. Certainly that might raise suspicions."

"Lots of blond kids out here," Link mutters, annoyed that the rito isn’t wrong.

Before Link can react, Kass grabs the hem of his shirt and lifts it. It's just enough to reveal his scar for a split second, until Meep launches herself at the rito, butter knife in hand. 

"**You leave him alone!**" she growls, standing on the table and clacking her teeth near Kass's neck. 

"**Sorry. That was rude**," Kass agrees. 

Meep stares at him with wide eyes, even as Link pulls her down from the table. It takes him a few seconds to realise that Kass spoke in perfect monster speech. 

"I just wanted to make a point," Kass says in way of apology. "Even if you really are only an unlucky bystander who just happens to share a great many traits with the fallen hero, you need to be careful. Not so long ago, a couple of sheikahs passed by this stable and from what I could observe, they were headed for the gerudo Highlands."

Link can’t help a shiver. Yigas he doesn’t mind, but sheikahs...

"Maybe they want to make themselves useful and eliminate the yigas. What's that to you anyway? Someone who spies on sheikahs might be in more danger than me." 

"I'm just a bard," Kass chuckles, radiating innocence. "We are curious folks. My teacher used to say it came with the job. So when I see sheikahs where they don't belong, I have to keep an eye open, don't I?" 

Link grimaces. He won't admit it, but knowing there's sheikahs around _ is _helpful. The last thing he wants is to meet people who could recognise him and have a duty to force him into his role. Good thing he doesn't intend to head for the Highlands. 

"Well thanks for the warning, it's not needed. Now can we please, _ please _finish our dinner in peace?" 

"Of course, I've bothered you long enough," Kass says, getting up from the chair. "I hope you will keep my words in mind, though if you don't... Well, I suppose there's nothing I can do about that, can I?" 

With his wisdom forced upon them, the rito finally leaves them alone. Link absently pops the last of his bread into his mouth. They'll leave before daybreak, he decides. Ritos have keen eyes but they are usually firmly diurnal and he just doesn't like the idea of that weirdo knowing where they're headed. 

"**He knows about your wound** ," Meep grumbles, glaring at Kass who is now chatting with Pirou. " **He knows monster talk. He's an odd bird.**"

It's a comfort to hear Meep is equally suspicious. Maybe they won't even wait until morning. Once everyone, Kass included, has gone to sleep, they can scoot away and sleep somewhere in the wild. It means Link needs to ensure Horse will be cared for _ now _, but that's not a problem since he's done eating anyway. 

  
  
  
  


The desert sucks. It sucks _ majorly _. There's the temperature, of course. That's a little hotter than Link would prefer, though if dead boy's memories are to be believed, it'll get much worse deeper inside the desert. Nights are easier to handle because Link still has the doublet he borrowed from Rhoam on the plateau, but the wide difference sure is unpleasant. 

Then there's the sand. Link doesn't hate sand as a concept. He certainly loved the beaches around Lurelin, and running after crabs in the wet sand. Turns out, dry sand is a lot less fun. It gets in his boots, in his clothes. If he's not careful, it gets in his food and makes even the tenderest meat crunch under his teeth. Desert sand sucks. 

So the sand storm that hits them as they're finally about to reach the big oasis that was their goal? That's a _ nightmare _. Link breathes sand at this point. What's worse, visibility is so bad he almost loses Meep at one point. 

Sand, as it turns out, is also the sheikah slate's only weakness. It can handle water, electricity and even being used as a digging tool, but somehow a little flying sand and it doesn't work anymore. Blasted useless thing. 

In the slate's defence, there's a good likelihood the storm isn't a natural one. Somewhere in the distance, Link hears rhythmic booms, as if something heavy were hitting the ground at a regular pace. Something moving. Link has his suspicions on that, born of dead boy's memories.

Those suspicions are confirmed when at last the storm moves away from their position and, inside it, Link can spot a bulky shape moving. For a second an enormous metal head rises above the cloud of sand, gripping Link's heart with terror and longing. Vah Nabooris. Urbosa's Divine Beast. He misses her. No, _ dead boy _ misses her, because to Link she's a stranger. One he’s never met. One who will remain trapped in that machine, because he has better things to do. 

"**You see that big beast?** " Meep exclaims. " **It's bigger than a Hinox!**" 

"**And you can't even eat it**," Link grumbles. 

For a moment, Meep stares at the storm, an air of challenge on her face. She eventually shakes her head. 

"**It's too big to kill anyway.**"

"**I could kill it** ," Link protests, tearing his eyes from the storm to look for the oasis instead. " **I just don't want to.**"

That gets him a doubtful snort from Meep who points a finger to something behind Link. There's some palm trees over there, and a high rock with colorful fabrics hanging from it. Stupid storm got them so lost they were walking away from the oasis. 

"**Hope they have water** ," Link grumbles. " **So thirsty.**" 

There is, in fact, water in the oasis of Kara Kara Bazaar. A full lake of it, crystal clear and deliciously fresh in spite of the surrounding heat. Link drinks so fast he nearly finds himself sick, and makes a note to grab a few waterskins for the rest of their trip. To their great dismay, Link and Meep are informed by a gerudo guard that they are _ not _allowed to go swim in that lake. As she points out, everyone is drinking from it, and it would be unsanitary, to say the least. She's mostly looking at Meep as she says that, clearly expecting an explanation for the presence of a monster. Since she didn't right out attack them, Link decides to tolerate her rudeness. 

"That's my friend Meep," he announces. "We're researchers. We're here to look for a path to Holodrum." 

The gerudo bursts out laughing. It's not like Link expected to be taken very seriously. He'll have to find a better story to tell people then. What could they be doing in the desert? Dead boy's memory doesn't provide much except some ruins, and giant carcasses. Neither sounds like a serious research subject, but it's something to fall back on if he doesn't find anything better. 

"There's no Holodrum," the guard says when she calms down a bit. "If some gerudo told you to come here for that, she had a strange sense of humour." 

Link shrugs, as nonchalant as he can. "Well, I'm still interested in exploring the desert. I'm an ancient civilisations expert." 

Immediately the gerudo sobers up. "It is unwise to head into the desert, little voe. If the heat doesn't kill you, the Divine Beast will. You should go back to Hyrule, your kind isn't suited for this place." 

"I don't mind the heat." 

"It's worse deeper in the desert. But that’s your life to throw away. You should stock up on food and water, it'll help you last a little longer. About your pet though..." 

"My _ associate _!" Link corrects, proudly putting one hand on Meep shoulder. "Our research is the result of teamwork."

"Right. This is a peaceful place. My entire job is to make sure no monsters get in." 

"Then we'll be sure to warn you if we see any!" Link promises, squeezing Meep's shoulder so she knows to nod along. "Can we go now?" 

The gerudo doesn't look happy, but Link is giving her his biggest, most stupid smile to make it clear they're just two fools with no bad intentions. 

"I'll warn my colleagues," she sighs. "If there's any trouble, you're both out." 

"Of course, ma'am! We're good, law abiding researchers and..." 

"Yeah, Yeah. I'm regretting this already so just go on." 

Knowing not to push his luck, Link dashes toward the bazaar, pulling Meep behind him. They'll have to be very careful not to upset anyone then. Well, that's easy so long as nobody attacks them, so Link isn't too worried. 

Their first stop is the inn, because there is no way he's sleeping on the fricking sand again. 

The innkeeper is a tall, strong woman who looks rather depressed and barely lifts her head when she sees Link entering. Well, that's not his problem, is it? 

"Nice place you got there," he says as a greeting. "This is the bazaar's inn, right?" 

"If you can call it that anymore," the gerudo sighs with a handwave. "We've lost a lot of business ever since that divine beast started stomping out in the desert." 

She pauses, as if listening for it. Kara Kara Bazaar is a noisy place, there's merchants, visitors, birds singing but... Yes, if Link tries really hard, he can hear the rhythmic sound of Vah Nabooris's steps somewhere in the distance. It's very faint right now, but in the silence of the night it must be unsettling. 

"The sound of the divine beast walking might be loud, but the beds are still comfy," the innkeeper assures him. "Do you want to stay?" 

"Yeah, we'll need two beds."

"Vai or voe?" 

The question takes Link by surprise because, quite frankly, nobody ever asked that when they stayed at stables. It didn't seem to matter at the Seabed Inn either. 

"Well, it's _ both _actually. We’d like a room together." 

That's when the innkeeper finally properly looks at Meep and realises the second, quieter guest, isn't quite usual. To her credit, she doesn't look particularly horrified, though she does give Link a long, judging look. 

"I guess there's someone for everyone," she says, voice dripping in disapproval. "Well, you're lucky, the couple's room is empty. It usually is these days. Fifty rupees a night." 

It's a steep price, but Link hands her the money and she throws him a key for a room on the first floor. 

When they enter the room, the first thing Link notices is that there's only one bed inside. It's a big one though, and it is very soft and so bouncy that when Link jumps on it, he's propulsed to the floor on the other side. 

"**Stupid hylian** ," Meep mocks, before doing the exact same thing with the exact same result. " **Stupid bed**," she groans as Link starts laughing. 

It's perhaps a little too bouncy, and Link understands better why that room was free. It can’t be very easy to sleep on a bed like that. Not that he minds. If he weren't so hungry, Link would challenge Meep to see which of them can bounce the highest. Sadly, there are more urgent matters, like removing the layer of sand he caked in, and introducing Meep to real gerudo cuisine. 

Washing's easy because this room of theirs has a small indoor pool at one hand. The shape of it is a little weird, a bit like an apple with a pointy bottom, but who cares when the water is fresh? Even better, there are perfumed oils and a whole assortment of soaps. Meep refuses to use those because of the smell, but Link enjoys them thoroughly. 

Incidentally, none of those _ taste _as good as they smell. 

Once they are a good deal cleaner, Link and Meep venture outside in search of something to eat. They find that pretty easily. The oasis is a small city geared toward travelers coming to and from the desert. Eager to make Meep taste the paprika sprinkled meat he had in Akkala, Link stops in front of a stall that had similar looking skewers on a grill. They have that red colour, and the smell is pretty similar. 

"Good... Evening ?" the seller tentatively greets them. "Heh, that's how you say it where you're from, isn't it? Here we say 'sav' saaba'." 

"Sav'saaba to you then," Link replies, before pointing at the meat. "Are those ready or do we need to wait?" 

The gerudo inspects two skewers, and nods. "Ready enough, yeah. They're five rupees each. Hey, how was my accent?" she asks while Link digs in his pouch for money. "I'm trying to learn hylian better." 

"You're doing great," Link assures her. "Someone's teaching you?" 

"My little sister runs a butcher shop over in gerudo town. She's traveled all over, so she knows your language pretty well. You should stop by and... Oh, wait," the gerudo sighs. "You're a voe maybe, aren’t you? If so, you won't even be able to get past the front gates..."

Link bites into the perfectly cooked skewer. It's hot, the meat is tender, the spices make his tongue tingle. Perfect. 

"That's some great food there," Link compliments her, Meep eagerly nodding along. "We're going to look at the other stalls, but we might come back for more!" 

It might have been a hasty promise, because there are a lot of stalls with a lot of food. They gorge themselves on hydromelon sold by an irritable old lady called Emri. She calls them idiots for wanting to go into the desert, but sells them several more melons that she swears will help handle the heat, and she tells them where to buy waterskins. 

Link buys five of those, the biggest ones the seller has. Hopefully that should be enough for a couple days, right? The seller says it's enough to at least reach the next oasis, though she also warns them that they might get lost in the sandstorm caused by the divine beast. 

In fact, more than the desert itself, a lot of gerudo warn them against Vah Nabooris whose rampage worries them. In the couple of months since it awoke, several people have been struck by its lightning and died, mostly reckless hylians, but also two gerudo. Link tries to tell himself that's not his problem, but it's getting too obvious that the divine beasts came to life because he did. Those deaths are on him, as will be the ones that are sure to follow. At the same time, the very idea of freeing Vah Nabooris is unbearable. 

It was so hard to fight against Mipha inside Ruta, what if all the champions were corrupted the same way? The last thing he wants is to face their hatred of him. The idea of Urbosa screaming abuse at him is enough to make him sick. As for Revali or Daruk, Link refuses to even think of facing them.

His mood is severely dampened by the news of death and destruction brought on by Vah Nabooris. It doesn't change his mind though. They're getting out of Hyrule, now more than ever, and they're leaving the oasis at the crack of dawn to avoid the worst of the heat. After a last visit to the skewer shop, Meep and Link agree that they need to sleep.

As they reach the inn, a gerudo woman grabs Link by the arm, giving him an appraising look. 

"You're a voe, aren't you?" she asks, and Link is starting to find that question rather rude. Not because he minds being mistaken for a woman as has happened a few tonight, but because he can’t see why it matters so much. 

"Guess I am, yeah. Why?" 

The gerudo doesn't answer, choosing instead to continue inspecting him. Link exchanges a look with Meep. So far gerudos have all been a little odd once they realise he's a man, but this one tops them all for weirdness. 

"Hmm... No I bet mama would have a problem with a delicate voe like you," she sighs at last, sounding defeated. "Oh, yes. I'm Rhondson. I hail from gerudo town. This search for the love of my life... I'm so exhausted by it." 

"You're searching for _ what _?" link asks, dumbfounded by a quest that sounds even more stupid than his own. 

"Ugh... I don't know why I'm even saying this-it's no business of a hylian like you, but..." again Rhondson sighs, more deeply this time. "I'm constantly being bothered by my mother over not having found the love of my life yet." 

It's Link's turn to give her a good long look. She's in her thirties, no more. That's double his age yeah, but still young enough, isn't it? And she's pretty, even all sad and desperate looking as she is now. 

"Love's a sucky thing," Link tells her with absolute certainty. "Why rush into that shit? If you're single that's great, enjoy it! You'll find someone when the time is right!" 

To this Rhondson replies by staring at him like he's a complete idiot. Which, _ fair enough _. 

"You don't know?" she asks. "Really? It's incredibly rare for a male to be born to the gerudo. For our own survival as a people, we travel to find husbands... I've proven myself to be a gifted tailor but none of the voe I've met seem to appreciate a well-hemmed garment. I was hoping my craft would help me find a mate, but it doesn't seem like there's much work for a tailor around here. I wonder if there really is someone out there for me..."

That sounds rather tragic, and Link is sorry that this poor woman would feel herself responsible for the future of her people if she can't find a boyfriend and have kids. That's too much pressure for one person, and Link only knows one way to ignore pressure: run away from its source. 

"You don't need anyone to be happy," he insists. "And if your mom pesters you, just blow her off! You're better off on your own!"

To this Rhondson only laughs before pointing at Meep. 

"You say that but Kachoo from the inn told me about you. You're hardly on your own, kid." 

"That's not..." 

"What, so you're not in love?" she teases. "I don't judge, I'm just a little envious." 

His traitorous thoughts go to Sidon, for no good reason. Link realises with horror that he _ still _ misses the zora, even now that he has Meep back in his life. He misses that kindness and laughter and patience and goofiness and _ everything _that makes Sidon who he is. Stupid prince who almost made him want to be a hero. To make Sidon proud, Link might have been tempted to become a better man. Just as dead boy once allowed himself to relax and have fun sometimes so long as it could make Revali laugh. It’s a weakness dead boy and him share.

Well Sidon hates him now while Revali is dead, so Link isn't going to change for anyone. He's stupid and selfish and he'll gladly stay this way, thanks. 

"Love is a lie," Link bitterly proclaims as he strides toward the inn's door. "If you're smart, you'll give up on that crap." 

If he weren't worried Kachoo might try to kick them out, Link would have slammed the inn's door right after Meep joined him inside. The tentation is also there when they get to their room, but again he resists the impulse. Damn that gerudo woman for making him think of Sidon again when it probably has been days since that last happened. Well. Hours. He did briefly wonder if Sidon would have tried to jump into that lake. And if he might have been willing to try gerudo food. And if... 

With an annoyed huff, Link drops on the bed, not even enjoying the way he bounces anymore. Meep crawls up next to him, looking concerned. 

"**You are angry. She said something you don't like?**" 

"**No, I'm just tired**." 

"**You're lying**," Meep grunts with something of a warning in her voice. 

"**You said I could lie about that** ," Link retorts, moving so he's turning her back on her. " **I don't want to talk about it.**" 

"**It's about the fish man?**" Meep insists. 

"**I don't ** ** _want _ ** **to talk,**" Link snaps, grabbing the blanket and pulling it above his head. If he voices his doubts about Sidon, about his feelings, it'll become real. He needs to keep silent about it and wait for that to fade. Sentiments fade over time, don't they? They better do, because Sidon hates him now. There's no forgetting that look of betrayal in his eyes as Link warped away. And even without that, Sidon would never have actually left Zora's Domain to be with Link when he leaves Hyrule, so maybe it's for the best that he left in a way that can offer no reconciliation. 

Meep doesn't insist on getting the truth out of him. She shifts closer and holds him until they both fall asleep. 

Link has ruined many things, but at least he's not alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey so, we're getting near the end of my stash of chapter, which means I haven't had as much time for editing as I used to. I apologise for any grammar or spelling mistakes you've found in this chapter or in the coming ones. I must also apologise that very soon, updates are going to be more infrequent. I think I can post once a week for the rest of december and then it'll just... happen when it happens orz


	21. Gerudo Town

Leaving Kara Kara Bazaar and its oasis before sunrise was a great idea, because temperatures are chilly enough to be comfortable. The downsides to that very clever plan is that it still gets unbearably hot after a few hours, and they have to take refuge in the shadows cast by some big rocks. Walking in the sun isn't an option. Even _standing_ in the sun doing nothing isn't an option. Link's half sure his blood will start boiling if he doesn't hide, although Meep handles it a little better. That's very unfair, considering the snow didn't bother her either, back on the Great Plateau. Bokoblins are lucky bastards. 

They can't move from their hiding place until night falls, freezing but manageable because Link has clothes for those temperatures. They get on their way again, exhausted from the heat but determined to reach another place where they might be able to hide the following day. There's something in the distance that looks safe enough, great tall pale columns rising from the sand. They reach those after a few hours, only to discover they're not columns. 

These are _ bones _. 

Gigantic bones, belonging to a creature that must have been at least the size of Kara Kara Bazaar and its whole oasis. It's a little worrying to think such beasts might live in the desert and ambush them... But no, those bones have been there a long time. Dead boy saw them, back in the days, and they were already ancient a hundred years ago. 

"**There are rocks** ," Meep points out, pulling on Link's cloak to show him an outcrop where some big rocks should give them shelter from the blistering sun when daylight returns. **"We stay here?**" 

Link nods, too exhausted for words. Maybe he underestimated this desert thing. The heat is a horror, but with night falling the cold is nearly as bad as the Great Plateau, and Meep said a few times she heard the cries of Lizalfos carried by the winds. It can't get much worse than that. 

Except of course, it does. Just as they sit down under the large rocks, Link and Meep freeze at the sound of a familiar noise. It's a little different here, where there's only sand rather than dirt, but there's no mistaking the digging noises of stalfos emerging from their underground dens. 

There's no time to start a fire, the first of the creatures is already out. Link had never seen before the stalfos of a lizalfos and he'd gladly have stayed that way. Worse still, this one is an archer, soon joined by another one with a spear. Link reaches for his slate so fast he almost drops it, and pulls out a bent sword that he knows will probably be unusable after this fight. All he'll have after that is a rusty blade he picked up along the way, and a club. At least the stalfos's spear doesn't look too flimsy so he can steal that. 

"**We destroy the heads** ," Link tells Meep, unsure if she's actually had to fight those things before since she's always made efforts to avoid them. " **I've done it. They die if we destroy the head**." 

Meep nods and confidently shoots an arrow towards the head of one stalfos. All _that_ does is alert the creature to their presence though. With the same frightening speed as their living counterparts, one lizalfos runs toward them and tries to impale Meep who only barely avoids the attack. Link takes a swing at the undead monster, but fails to hit its neck and the stalfos jumps back out of their reach. 

If her bow won't work, Meep has her spear. It's not an ideal weapon against a creature of bones, especially not as a sand storm creeps on them and makes it hard to see. Still, Meep isn't one to let the weather stop her. She's carefully aiming again. Her wooden spear pierces through one of the stalfos's eyes and lodges itself into one of the openings at the back of its skull. The creature thrashes about, trying to get rid of the stick. It's almost invisible now in the middle of all that wind and sand, but a lightning strike not far illuminates its silhouette. Link rushes to the monster and this time his blunt sword hit his vertebrae hard enough to severe the head. Then it's just a matter of bashing on that skull until it breaks, and that stalfos is dealt with. 

Normally Link would want to destroy the second one too, but in this intense storm he can't see it. He can't see Meep either, which is more worrisome. The longer he breathes the storm, the more he can feel that repulsing taste of magic in the back of his throat. 

His suspicions are confirmed when gloomy red lights become visible through the raging sand and Link finds himself mere meters away from one of Vah Naboris's legs. Link stands still, struck by the size and commanding presence of the Divine Beast. He's never liked that one. Not because he disliked Urbosa, but because there was always an edge of danger to Naboris. Along with Vah Medoh, it was one of two Beasts that were made to kill and _ destroy _rather than to merely protect. 

A hand grabs Link's arm, startling him enough that he raises his sword to strike... Then lowers it when he recognises Meep. 

"**It is safe?**" she asks, staring in frightful awe at Vah Naboris, her hand clenched hard on Link's wrist. 

Before he can answer, a loud buzzing noise comes from the Divine Beast, new lights blinking from its head and back. And speaking of its back, the two antennas on its lumps spark to life, enveloping themselves in a purple buzzing light that form a circle between. 

That same circle is then projected onto the spot where Link and Meep are standing. 

"**We need to run!** " Link exclaims, grabbing Meep and pulling her away. "**We find cover!**" 

Link isn't even sure what will happen when the Divine Beast is done charging, just that it'll be terrible and he can't allow that to happen to Meep. Heck, whatever is coming, he's pretty sure it's one death he'd rather avoid for himself too. But it's hard to run in the sand, and the buzzing noise of Naboris keeps getting stronger. Just when Link is sure they'll die, his boots meet stone again and he pushes Meep under the rocks they saw earlier, before quickly joining her. 

Outside, the buzzing doesn't stop. Having lost one target, Vah Naboris quickly finds another in the shape of that second stalfos. Unlike Link and Meep, the creature doesn't understand the danger and stays in the open until a shower of lightning strikes reduces it to dust. Having eliminated all visible threats, Vah Naboris resumes its endless walk in the desert, taking the storm with it.

Even when it's gone, Link doesn't move, clinging tight to Meep who does the same to him. They both stare at the place where that unfortunate stalfos stood, and where now mangled glass shapes arise from the sand. 

They don't speak after that, and they don't let go of each other either. Link knows they should resume their journey while the temperatures allow it, but he's too shaken for that. So they sit under the rocks, anxiously listening for the return of heavy steps on the sand, or for the scratching noises of more stalfos. They don't even think of sleeping until dawn arrives, riding them of one threat. 

It's the heat that eventually wakes them, early in the afternoon. Even in the shadows, the temperature rises enough to be just on the brink of discomfort. They share a hydromelon, the only thing they can eat when it's so hot all around. Link avoids looking outside, not wanting to see the glass formed by Vah Naboris's attack nor the storm in the distance. Meep is more practical about that, so she's the one who notices an odd, tall rock in the distance that has spots of colours on it. 

"**Like at the oasis** ," she points out. " **Maybe it's a safe place. We go there?**" 

Link hesitates. Meep has better eyes than him so he trusts her if she sees something, but it seems far. If Vah Naboris returns while they're in the open... 

"**We go there or we go back** ," Meep warns, her hand already on the sheikah slate’s pouch. " **We don't stay here.**" 

That's a fair choice to give Link, and it's an easy decision to make. After the way everyone warned him that he wasn't prepared enough for the desert, Link refuses to go back and prove them right. 

"**We go when night comes** ," he decides. " **If the Beast isn't there.**" 

That's clearly not the answer Meep was hoping for. She grumbles and huffs about it, but doesn't outright protest against that plan. 

It's a long few hours until sunset. The instant they can step out of the shadow without being roasted alive, Meep and Link set out for that odd rock in the distance. It's a comfort when, as darkness falls, they see a warm yellow light appear that comes from their destination. There really must be something there, a safe place for them to stop before they head deeper into the desert. Still, Link keeps glancing around and walks close to Meep, ready to grab the slate from her. If Naboris comes again, this time they'll warp away to safety. 

At least that was the plan. A bad plan, it turns out. 

They're almost at their destination which, as far as they can guess in the dark, is a tall building and not a rock at all. There can't be more than two hundred meters between them and safety when the wind picks up and, far too close, heavy steps resonate on the sand.

Grabbing Meep's arm, Link frantically takes the slate from her hip and checks for somewhere to warp to. Only to find the slate isn't responding because of the storm. There's nothing but static on the screen. Meep sees it too and looks at Link, his terror mirrored in her eyes. 

To their left, Vah Naboris is now visible, bringing with it thunder and, when it spots them, a loud buzzing noise accompanied by purple light. 

"**We run!** " Meep shouts, locking her fingers around Link's wrist. " **It's not far, we run!**" 

Run they do. It's a mad dash toward that building, every step feels like it'll be their last one as the Divine Beast comes closer, the buzzing gets louder. Link almost falls in the sand a few times but Meep keeps him upright and forces him to go on even when his lungs are on fire, and he does the same for her. They barely manage to force the buildings door open and throw themselves inside before lightning rains down on the sand, narrowly missing them. 

Link laughs and cries in relief as he hugs Meep. They made it. Somehow, they made it and they're still alive. 

It takes them far too long to realise that there's someone else inside the building. When Link finally recovers enough to look around, he discovers a very stunned gerudo woman staring at them. 

"Hey," Link breathlessly greets her. 

"You're... A hylian? That's a rare sight so far from your homeland," the gerudo mumbles. "Did you... save that bokoblin from the Divine Beast?" 

Even with his limbs trembling from the effort he's just made, Link manages to move so he's in front of Meep.

"She's my friend," he gasps. "If anything, I think she saved me. We were exploring and we got attacked by that big thing. Lucky this place was here." 

"You were luckier than you realise. My orders from the chief are to monitor the divine beast from here. The sandstorms and lightning are fierce around that thing. I had someone else working with me but she couldn't come back inside fast enough one day and... I work alone now, until a replacement is sent."

She looks resigned more than sad, making Link wonder how long ago she lost her coworker and how close they were. Not terribly close would be his guess, or else she's good at hiding her emotions. 

"Sorry for your loss," he still says. "That thing moves pretty fast I guess. It's going to be a pain to keep travelling..." 

"There's nothing in the desert worth risking the wrath of Vah Naboris," the gerudo cuts him. "You're as mortal as anyone so don't get too close."

Link shrugs. He's a good deal less mortal than most actually, though Meep isn't so lucky and he does need to look out for her. Maybe if they had some magic to help them... 

"Hey, miss gerudo..." 

"My name is Sudrey." 

"That's a pretty name. Tell me Sudrey, do you know where I could find electric safflina around here? See, I'm a bit of an alchemist in my spare time and..." 

"No elixir can protect you from lightning," Sudrey interrupts. "_Nothing_ can protect you from that except maybe the chief's heirloom. Why do you even want to go in the desert? There's nothing there." 

The word heirloom catches Link's attention, and it strikes something within dead boy's memory. 

"I'm a researcher, I research stuff, who cares,” he mutters with a hand wave. “What's that _ heirloom _you're talking about? Sounds interesting." 

"A voe like you would never be allowed anywhere near the Thunder Helm," Sudrey warns. "It never leaves the city save for great emergencies, and voe are not allowed within our walls. You'd be smarter to give up and go home!" 

"That's probably true," Link agrees with a laugh. He knows himself. He's many things, but _ smart _isn't one of them. Neither is he good at following orders, or he'd be saving Hyrule already like a good obedient hero. "Well, maybe we'll head back tomorrow. Mind if we rest here a bit? The night has been long and we can't really travel during the day..." 

"I'll give you a couple cooling elixirs in the morning," Sudrey offers, "and then you should head toward Gerudo Town and catch the road back to Kara Kara there. Until then, you can have one of the beds and your pet can..." 

"My _ friend _shares the bed with me, or else we both sleep on the floor." 

Sudrey can't help a grimace at the thought, but she doesn't refuse and just points at the bed they're allowed to use. Must be the one that belonged to her former coworker, Link decides as he stumbles onto it, followed by Meep. Neither of them minds sleeping on a dead woman's bed. After a day like that one, they probably wouldn't mind if they had to share with a corpse even, so long as they'd get to sleep somewhere safe. 

"**Tomorrow we go back?**" Meep asks when they are settled under the dusty sheets. 

"**No, we go to big village. We find protection against the big monster.**" 

"**She says you can't go in**," Meep protest, glancing at Sudrey. 

Link's eyes darts toward the gerudo. Unlike them she hasn't gone to sleep; instead, she's at a window, staring outside. Keeping watch over Vah Naboris probably, since she said that's her job. 

"**I do what I want** ," Link says confidently. " **We are going inside. It's a good place. A fun place. More good food like the oasis**." 

Meep doesn't look too convinced, and Link can't blame her. His last few ideas haven't exactly been brilliant, between running away to protect her and dragging her into a deadly desert. This time it's different though. This time, it'll work. 

He knows, because dead boy did it before him, with Urbosa's help. 

  
  


_ Bless _Sudrey and bless elixirs because going to Gerudo Town is a walk in the park after drinking some magic potions. Not a very nice park though, because there's still sand everywhere. But at least they're not roasting on their feet. They also don't have to worry about Vah Naboris, which is another huge relief: Sudrey assures them that so far, it has never approached the town, even if it gets close to Kara Kara sometimes. Link isn't surprised. Knowing Urbosa, it'll take more than being corrupted by Malice for her to really endanger her people. She wouldn't let anyone turn her into a new Ganon. 

It is a joy when Meep and Link finally reach the yellow walls of Gerudo Town. For him especially it brings memories from dead boy's days. Disguises to sneak in and still protect the princess... Though with death having mollified his sense of duty, Link can feel dead boy also did it for the sheer _ pleasure _of it. He'd enjoyed wearing female garments so much more refined than his usual ones, and he had liked being just a normal hylian for a few hours, even if the sword still weighed heavy on his back. He could pretend to enjoy his mission all he liked, but deep down, dead boy just wanted to be happy, like everyone else. 

Well good news for the ghost, Link is going back to his happy place. And since unlike zoras, gerudo live a _ reasonable _amount of time, dead boy can be allowed all the nostalgia he likes this time because there's no one alive who can recognise him. 

Considering what Link heard in Kara Kara Bazaar and from Sudrey, it's not a big surprise when the town's guard taps her spear on the ground and uses it to block the way into town. 

"Sav'otta! Hear this: men are not allowed in Gerudo Town. So quit loitering, and get out of here!" 

"Cool, cool. Consider this though," Link retorts. "We're both women." 

Meep, bless her, doesn't show any surprise at that flagrant lie. The gerudo however looks rather suspicious and doesn't move her spear. 

"A little flat for a woman, no?" she asks, staring at Link's chest. 

That uncalled for remark annoys Link more than he'd have expected. He knows what he looks like. He has a slender frame and a feminine face, long hair... Sure he's flat where most women wouldn't be, but honestly he's met a handful of travelers that weren't much more endowed than him, and most gerudo have a deeper voice than his. He could easily be a woman, if not for the dangly bits in his trousers. 

"That's a very rude thing to say!" he protests, crossing his arms on his chest. "You think I don't _ know _that? And I thought here at least people would be kind..." 

On cue, Meep shakes her head and taps his shoulder comfortingly. 

"**You are very stupid** ," she says in a very gentle voice. " **It won't work.**" 

"Right, isn't it _ awful _?" Link exclaims with a dramatically pained expression, pressing his arms tighter against his torso. "Judging me based on looks that's..." 

"I'm just saying even for a kid you're very flat," the guard protests, looking inside the gate and wincing when she notices they've attracted attention. "You wouldn't be the first man trying to..."

On the other side of the gate, a handful of gerudo are approaching to see what the commotion is about. That's all the encouragement Link needs to get even more dramatic. 

"I was _ wounded _ as a child okay?" he cries, lifting his shirt just enough to reveal the edge of his scar. "I'm never going to look like a normal woman and for that you're calling me a _ man _? What do you need me to do to prove I'm what I say I am? Do I have to undress for you?" 

Emboldened by this role he's playing, Link starts fumbling with his belt while Meep, smarter as always, tries to stop him. 

"You should be ashamed, Lashley!" someone says behind the guard. "Look at that poor girl, she's ready to cry!" 

Link's hands still and the guard freezes as one of the other gerudo approaches, an old woman who looks about ready to slap some sense into poor Lashley. 

"I'm just doing my job!" Lashley protests. "You know there's a lot of hylian men trying to get inside lately, how would you like it if one of them managed, Muava?" 

"Better ten men inside than one woman outside," the old gerudo retorts, and behind her the other passerbys nod their agreement. "You've done your job, good for you. Now I'll do my duty as a gerudo and take these little vai as my guests. How does that sound?" 

Lashley doesn't look too happy about it, but she doesn't protest when Muava takes Meep and Link's hands to lead them into the city. 

"There, these two are under my responsibility now," Muava announces. "Now, how would you like to visit the city, my little vai ?" 

Link nods, too embarrassed for words. It's one thing to do a little acting and trickery to get inside Gerudo Town, and quite another to have this old woman put her reputation on the line for them. After all, he's here for the express purpose of stealing a priceless treasure from the gerudo chief. It'll be harder to do that if it might get this sweet old lady into trouble. 

Harder but not impossible. He nearly let Zora's Domain be destroyed. He can do this too, for the sake of his own freedom. 

For now though, Muava is still holding both his and Meep's hands as she's guiding them away from the town's gate, making Link feel like a little kid who might get lost if he were allowed to wander. 

"It's a big place," Muava explains. "I'll show you around a bit so you can get your bearings... And so people know you're with me and that you're _ allowed _to be here. Some of the younger vai have become a little too strict in applying our laws in recent years, but I'm old enough to remember the days where nobody would judge a vai for being born with a voe's body like you."

Link stops in his tracks, horrified at having been discovered so easily, but the old gerudo just chuckles and let go of his hand to squeeze his cheek. 

"It happens, little vai. Sometimes the Goddess makes us one way, and it doesn't match our soul. She’s not half as powerful as She thinks. But women are always welcome here, no matter what sort of a woman they are."

That's almost enough to make Link feel guilty again. At the same time, there's something comforting in being told that his body doesn't define what he is, and that others too think Hylia can make mistakes. 

"Don't be ashamed, my little vai," Muava says, taking his hand again. "Now, what would you say about getting some nicer clothes? I'm sure you'll love looking all pretty." 

Link just nods, too uncomfortable with this open acceptance to say anything. 

Muava leads them through a number of little streets, greeting merchants and passersby, until they arrive to a big open square in front of a huge building. The chief's palace, Link remembers. Their real target in coming here. 

First though, Muava pushes her two guests inside a shop that sells gerudo garments in hylian sizes, and urges Link and Meep to look around. After Muava has a whispered conversation with her, the shop owner, Saula, encourages Link to try anything he likes and lets him change in the back of the shop. 

By then the guilt is unbearable. This kindness and trust are _ wasted _ on him, and he can't help but fear that if his plan to steal the Thunder Helm work, some _ real _ women born in an unfitting body will have even more trouble entering the city. All because he's selfish and wants to escape. Maybe he needs to find another way. Maybe if he introduces himself as Hylia's champion and pretends he wants to help with Naboris, the gerudo chief will let him borrow the Helm. Or maybe they can try to avoid the beast by heading into another part of the desert. Anything, so long as he doesn't have to steal and ruin _ more _lives than he's already done. 

At least, gerudo clothes aren't half bad to wear. Link picks a black outfit, perhaps not the smartest colour for the desert's heat but none of the other options really appealed to him. Well, the blue version was nice... Until he remembered blue was the colour the old champions had claimed as their own. He died wearing blue, he refuses to ever wear it alive. 

"Ooh! That gerudo top looks really good on you!" Saula exclaims when he finishes dressing up. "And white, good colour for you miss!" she adds toward Meep who is also playing around. 

"**I am ** ** _pretty_ ** ," Meep agrees with a wide grin. " **You are pretty too. We show this to your fish mate, yes?**" 

Link glares at her, annoyed that she won't drop the jokes about Sidon. He didn't even speak _ that much _ about the zora, and he's told her countless times that the prince wasn't even a friend. Why does Meep have to be as good as Sidon at telling when he's lying?

"**Not my mate** ," he warns, before grabbing a white veil and dropping it on her head. " **To look prettier**."

Meep lifts the fabric to stick her tongue at him, then looks pleadingly at the seller so she'll attach it properly. To her credit Saula doesn't hesitate to do that, nor does she show any fear or disgust toward Meep. That makes it easier to blow nearly all their savings on those outfits. In case he needs to do something reprehensible, Link wants to leave a good memory behind. 

Besides, the clothes really are better suited for the heat. 

While Link counts the necessary rupees, Muava chats with Saula about the sort of place she could take Link. It seems there's plenty to do in Gerudo Town, from the bazaar that never closes to massages at some of the inns. It's a city that never sleeps. 

"Better take her somewhere discreet and understanding though," Saula advises. "With the recent troubles, some people might not be too kind about her. Oh! It's so nice and cool this evening, isn't it? On nights like this, I like to relax and grab a drink at the Canteen."

Muava looks rather doubtful about that, muttering something about not being too fond of the owner. Still when Link is done paying for their new outfits, the Noble Canteen is exactly where Muava takes him. It's good fun for a young vai, she says. 

The place certainly seems to be a lively one when they arrive. Link hears a lot of chattering and laughing even from the street. He can't wait to taste whatever is making all these gerudo so cheerful. That hope, however, is soon disappointed when the owner of the Canteen takes a good look at him and shakes her head. 

"I can't tell how old you are, but you look a little young to be coming to my shop," she says. "You see, we mix special drinks here. Drinks that are definitely just for adults..." 

"I'm definitely an adult," Link protests, which is probably true. He was just barely of age by hylian standards, though now that he thinks of it, gerudo have a different age for adulthood, don't they? "I've drunk alcohol before, it's fine." 

Nevermind he got so drunk it made him want to kiss Sidon... Though in fairness, maybe he didn't need alcohol for that anyway, so it's fine. He can handle a drink or two. 

"Make the girl a drink, Furosa," Muava grumbles. "She won't cause trouble." 

"I'm not serving a child," Furosa retorts. "Not normally, and certainly not when I have old Rima hanging out. You think she won't rat me out to Teake if I break the law?" 

Looking very amused by the discussion, Meep steps forward. She waves at Furosa to get her attention, then points at herself with an interrogative grunt. The old gerudo looks unsure for a moment, then nods. 

"I guess you're old enough for it, if that's what your asking? Do you want a drink?" 

Meep nods, and turns to Link who's staring at her with his mouth open in shock and betrayal. 

"**Ask her what drink they have**," Meep orders. 

"**Traitor. Will you let me taste?**" 

The bokoblin shrugs with a wicked grin that doesn't bode well for Link. Still he translates her question since that's his only chance of getting a drink tonight. 

"Our featured cocktail is called Noble Pursuit," Furosa explains. "Many of our customers come here specifically to order it. The light, sweet taste... The cool sensation from each sip... It's like drinking distilled motivation!" 

That sounds absolutely delicious and Link is salivating in advance. He buys a glass for Meep while Muava heads out, grumbling that she'll find something for her other little vai too, and that they should get a table.

They manage to find one and Meep sits with her big colourful glass in front of her. She's grinning widely at it, and that grin only gets bigger when Link tries to grab it and she slides the glass out of reach. 

**"Not for you** ," she announces. " **Not for ** ** _babies _ ** **like you.**" 

"**I paid!**" 

"**Yes. Thank you** ," Meep says before taking a sip. " **Oh! Very good! A ** ** _big _ ** **thank you!**"

Link lifts the veil of his outfit to stick his tongue at her. She is unfairly unbothered by that, probably because she gets to drink the delicious cocktail. 

His mood souring fast, Link starts looking around. The table right next to theirs is occupied by a very old gerudo who is drinking alone and keeps glaring at a group of girls a little further in the room. They are a noisy bunch, but they seem to be having a lot of fun and alternate between laughter and loud, excited whispers about some club they've been to. One of them giggles something about finding a desert outfit for her boyfriend, which catches Link's attention. His new clothes are better suited for the heat, but he wouldn't be against something even better adapted so he leans their way, trying to hear more details about that club. 

"Look who's curious!" the old woman at the table between them grumbles. "It's a bad time to have lingering ears when you're a foreigner." 

"I'm here with a gerudo," Link quickly assures her. "She just went to get me a kid's drink because I'm not allowed the fun stuff."

"Good. Kids shouldn't drink. _ No one _ should drink at the moment. Everyone needs to stay sharp!"

"Why? Did something happen?" 

The old woman waves her hand in a large, resigned gesture. 

"Everything happened, child! First Vah Naboris awaking. Then... a little while ago, a gang of thieves slipped into the palace and stole the chief's heirloom, the Thunder Helm." 

Link's breath catches in his throat. 

"It's bad enough to be robbed in general," the old woman complains. "But for the object stolen to be a valued heirloom belonging to our own chief... If I was still in charge, any guard who failed to catch those thieves would be doing some serious manual labour. And then they'd be thrown back into training, all the way from the beginning. No exceptions!"

As she starts listing all the exercises and punishments she would inflict first on the inefficient guards and then on the thieves, Link struggles to keep a neutral expression.

It's more of a relief than it should be. Link was fully prepared to introduce himself as the legitimate hero so he could get that helm, but he's glad there's another option. After all, how hard can it be to get into a bunch of thieves' hideout and grab the helm? He can even try to return it to the gerudo once he's figured out a path out of Hyrule for Meep and him, at least if doing so isn’t too inconvenient.

"It's awful!" he laments when he can trust his voice again. "Who'd do something like that? Was it hylians? Is that why the guards are so suspicious of hylians?" 

"It's a gerudo problem," the old woman complains. "We handle our trouble on our own." 

"Well, sure. But now I'm scared about getting robbed! What if they're still in the city?" 

"Yigas don't go after the likes of you, they're..." 

"_ Yigas _?" 

The gerudo glares at him, and a few heads turn their way. Link smiles innocently, before remembering that his veil hides that and choosing to tap his cheek in a demonstration of remorse.

"Sorry, didn't mean to be so loud. It's just, wow. Real yigas? I thought they were just a story to scare children." 

They'd been nothing more when dead boy was a child. A fairy tale, sheikahs turned evil to contrast with the good, generous, _ helpful _ones that were of such great support to the royal family, and whose prophecy had foretold the return of Ganon. Before dead boy picked the sword, no one had seen a yiga in centuries. After though, they kept popping up everywhere, trying to kill the princess and testing her knight's power. Trying to reach the Divine Beasts and testing the champions' might. 

For hidden warriors who had lived in the shadows for centuries, they'd suddenly turned pretty bad at keeping out of sight, though dead boy hadn’t really questioned that at the time. The princess did. Dead boy had heard her talk with Urbosa sometimes… but they always stopped when he arrived. 

"If you know what's good for you, you'll forget what you just heard," the old woman warned, rising from her seat. "A little hylian vai like you would do well to mind her own business, or she'll land in trouble. Am I clear?" 

Link eagerly nods, already wondering how he'd find the yigas' hideout. It is somewhere in gerudo territory, he knows that. Urbosa had complained about it numerous times, saying if she hadn't been kept so busy with Naboris, she would have mounted an expedition to rid Hyrule of the yiga. She never had the time though, there was always something more urgent coming up. It always frustrated her to know _ exactly _where their enemy laid and yet being unable to put an end to their actions. 

With a map, Link's half sure he could remember where their hideout was. She showed dead boy, didn't she? She wanted him to help, after Ganon was defeated, so evil could be eradicated and the world could know true peace. Dead boy had eagerly agreed, always ready to do something stupid and reckless to show he was worthy of Hylia’s love.

Clearly irritated with herself for letting slip such crucial information, the old gerudo leaves her table. She must really be someone important because almost everyone watches her go and Muava, who has returned with a tall glass of something fresh looking, bows slightly when they cross. Hopefully Link isn't in trouble. It's not like he's planning on staying long, but it could be a bother if he were arrested and the sheikah slate were found on him. 

"So old Rima really was here," Muava notes as she sits near Link. "She's the previous captain of the guards, a tough woman. I'm glad she left, it'll be more fun without her, little vai." 

Link nods, and thanks her for the drink. After taking a sip, he thanks her again because that might be the best thing he's tasted in his life. It's a thick and sweet thing that tastes of banana and cream, it's fresh and comforting and he loves it. It's exquisite and when Meep sees how much he's enjoying it, she agrees to trade a sip of her cocktail for a taste of his smoothie. The Noble Pursuit is everything Furosa promised, but Link happily sticks to his banana drink after that first taste. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vah Nabooris terrifies me because, of all the divine beasts, it's the only one that will harm you if you approach it  
also, about Link's entrance into gerudo town... I struggled a bit with that. I didn't want to just have him do the normal clothes quest because, frankly, it kinda pisses me off (Link could absolutely pass for a hylian woman, they have no way of knowing what under his clothes, and it has transphobic undertones) but I'm also a little unsure about playing into the 'trans woman are men invading women's spaces' thing since that's... kind of what he's doing? I mostly see Link as non-binary but it's not really something I've had the occasion to develop in the fic because, well, the issue never really had a chance to come up before.  
Anyway, sorry if I handled this badly, and I'm more than open to being told how I could have done better with this!


	22. Yiga Hideout

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for some graphic violence toward the end of the chapter

Thanks to Muava who knows the city like her pocket, Link had no trouble buying a paper map of the gerudo territories. As soon as he looked at it, dead boy did his job and let him know exactly where Urbosa thought the yiga clan lived, a hidden valley at the frontier of the Gerudo Highland. Karusa Valley, the map calls it. 

That's not exactly near Gerudo Town, but at least it's not an area where Vah Nabooris has ever been spotted, as far as Muava knows. 

"Still not a pleasant place," she warns them as they leave the shop. "People say it is haunted. Those who go there never return." 

"I bet," Link mutters, remembering some of dead boy's encounters with the yigas. "Sorry for those who died, but I'm different."

The old gerudo chuckles at that confidence. "What could even interest you so much over there?" 

"I'm a researcher," Link proudly announces. "I like to check if old tales are true." 

"Like Holodrum?" 

Link winces. After the Canteen, Muava took him to another place that was a little more relaxed about letting him drink. He's ended up drinking a little too much, and saying more about his plans than he should have. Nothing really compromising as such, but still riskier than he'd have done normally. Let that be a lesson for the future, Link tells himself: he's a lightweight when it comes to drinking.

"You're like me in my youth," Muava sighs with a faint smile. "I had a fairy tale notion in my heart. I'd heard of the Lovers' pond, and I thought I'd meet my true love there. I travelled all across Hyrule, searching for this fabled place. But I couldn't find it... At least, I chased my dreams!" 

Link and Meep look at each other. 

"**Love pond?** " she whispers. " **Like in the sea village?**" 

Link shrugs, and motions for her to keep quiet about it. They never saw that pond themselves, but everyone in Lurelin knew about it. They even seemed to know where to find it, though it did not appear to have great significance in their eyes. And Muava doesn't look too regretful, does she? Maybe after he's grabbed the helm, Link will come back and ask if she wants to know... But at the moment there's too much to prepare for their trip to Karusa Valley. 

Since it's far from the city, Muava advises them to rent some sand seals. She takes them to the business of a woman called Frelly whom Link instantly _ adores _ for her fashion sense. All her clothes are in a green fabric with a sand seal pattern on it. It's _ brilliant _ , and it makes Link wonder if he could get something like that with mushrooms or fish. Or maybe he could get Meep a shirt with _ friend _written all over it, just to make a point. 

"Oh, wow... Don't tell me you crossed the gerudo desert on foot?" Frelly exclaims when Muava quickly explains that they are freshly arrived from Kara Kara Bazaar. "Must have been hard to walk through the desert... Especially having your feet sink into the sand. It's common sense to travel the desert with sand seals around here." 

"Yes, that's why I brought them to you," Muava explains. "I thought you could give them a quick lesson." 

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Link agrees, enthusiastic to ride those beasts. "How do I... _ set seal _?" 

Frelly narrows her eyes at the bad joke while Muava chuckles. Link bats his eyes innocently, as if the pun were an accident and he weren't already preparing some more of the same calibre. 

"Steering a sand seal is really easy," Frelly replies, choosing to ignore his choice of words. "You just grab their leash, and they'll go in whatever direction you want. But! You need a shield to sand seal surf, so don't forget about that. They say practice makes perfect so why not just try for yourself?" 

"_ Seal-iously _? I'd love that." 

Frelly snorts this time, while Muava smirks. 

"You're in good hands, my little vai," she says, patting Link's shoulders. "I'll leave you to your business now. But come and see me again when you come back in town. I'll want to hear if you've found those ghosts!" 

Link's answer is to grab her waist and hugs her. 

"Thanks for your kindness, I'm forever in your debt. You were _ sen-seal-tional _ to me." 

"**Yes, good woman** ," Meep agrees as she joins the hug. " **You find us good drinks**." 

"Yes, yes, you two are good kids," Muava mutters, extirpating herself from their embrace. "I'll _ seal _you around. Remember to live your life to the fullest, little vai!" 

With the old woman gone, their shield surfing lesson with Frelly can begin. She leads them outside the city where some of her animals are longing in the sun. Since they don't appear to have shields (Link's hesitant to get the ones stored in the slate when they're in a public space) the gerudo sells them some cheap ones. They wouldn't do much in a fight, but they look rather nice and she swears they're strong enough to use with the seals. 

Frelly wasn't lying when she said that sand-seal surfing is an easy business. Link takes to it immediately, enjoying the speed with which he's pulled forward, the glide of the shield on the sand, the force with which he must hold the seal's leash... The gerudo should make a game out of that and if they have done so already, he'll want to know where he can play with them. 

His enthusiasm isn't shared by Meep who struggles to balance herself on the gliding shield. To make things worse, the first seal she's given is terrified of her and clearly trying to get rid of the monster it perceives behind its back. Frelly has to find her another more docile seal that, by its owner's admission, is just too _ stupid _to realise it should be scared. 

Once they are comfortable enough with this new mode of transport, Link pays Frelly for their rental seals and they are off. 

Seal surfing is definitely the better way to travel in the desert, Link decides as they glide near a lizalfos that's too stunned by their speed to attack them. When they have the Thunder Helm and can safely explore the desert, they're doing it with a pair of sand-seals. It's easier, it's more fun, and it's just so much faster than walking in that blasted sand. 

It takes them the better part of the day to reach the entrance of Kurasa Valley. By foot, Link is sure the trip would have been three times longer, if not more. The valley is as far as the seals will take them, though. In there, sand turns to stone, and the animals can't go there. They release their two beasts and give them the order to stay. Frelly said the seals should wait for them a day or two before heading back, which Link hopes will give them enough time. If all goes well, they can use those same seals to head into the desert once they have stolen back the Thunder Helm. First though, a good night of sleep before heading between the wolf's jaws. 

It takes a lot to creep Link out, or at least so he likes to think. Kurasa valley manages _ that _quite easily. 

Link can't point out why at first. Perhaps it's the silence. The absence of monsters of any sort. There's not even a lizalfos or a damn chuchu, _nothing_. The most Link sees is a bird or two in the distance, tall and thin creatures that fly away long before Meep and him approach. 

Deeper in the valley, that eerie silence is broken by the clicking sounds of wooden charms suspended between the walls of the cliffs. Hundreds of them, moving with what little wind reaches this place. They're something sheikahs use to ward off evil spirits, dead boy's memory provides. Apparently that's a tradition the yiga kept even after changing sides in the war against evil, even though by all accounts _ they're _the evil spirits now. It kinda works, too. Meep complains about a headache the entire time they're under those charms. 

By the time they get to the frog statues, Link is fully spooked out and ready to quit. They haven't seen the shadow of a single yiga yet, but both of them are jumping every time a pebble falls from the cliff. Discovering the frogs are just the icing on the cake. They're an army of stone creatures with blood red paint on them that stares down from the cliff, unmoving but ever present. 

"**Don't like them** ," Meep grumbles tiredly as the afternoon draws to an end. " **So many eyes...**" 

Perhaps there's really something to those wooden charms, because Link has never seen her so exhausted. Luckily there's a fork ahead of them. Going straight ahead there's the main path itself, where more charms and frogs await, and thus more fatigue for Meep. On the right though, there's plateau of sorts that's been left wild, and could be a good place for poor Meep to rest a bit. 

"**We go that way** ," Link suggests, pointing to the cliff. " **Coming to the thieves at night is bad**." 

When Meep doesn't protest, Link knows she really needs a moment to recuperate. He takes her hand and leads her on that plateau until they hardly see those stupid frogs. What they find, instead, is a big metal circle. It somewhat looks like the material shrines are made of, but doesn't have a pedestal that Link could activate. Maybe another leftover from the days when yigas where still sheikahs? The only clue Link finds as to its use is a stone with a message engraved: _ 'if you seek power untold, offer a shining blue stone' _. It certainly is cryptic enough to be sheikah. 

Link decides to ignore that and to take care of Meep for the night, until she's better. It's still somewhat light outside but the temperature is falling already. Link wraps her up in his cloak so she doesn't get cold. Next he needs to start a small fire. Not so much because of stalfos, he doesn't think they'll appear with all those blasted charms in the valley, but so he can roast her a nice fat bird, perhaps a few apples too. That would be a lot easier if he had flint on him, but apparently they've used up everything they had stored in the slate. 

"Could be flint," Link says, inspecting the stones around. He hacks at them with a hammer he borrowed from a stable, then grimace when he sees what's inside. "Luminous stones. Bad ones at that, they're worth nothing." 

Disappointed by this find, Link throws the stone fragment behind him. With a clinking sound it lands on that odd metal circle, and instantly the thing lights up. Link tightens his grasp on the hammer while Meep tiredly pulls out her bow and aims it at the light, both ready for trouble. 

Trouble finds them indeed, though not the sort they expected: with a noise of breaking stones, a shrine emerges from the ground just in front of them. 

"_ Shining blue stone _ . I guess that was a riddle?" Link mutters. " **No fire tonight. I don't have the good stone.**"

"**No monster here** ," Meep replies with a shrug as she lowers her bow. " **Bad place. Even monsters don't come here.**" 

Link sighs as he sits down next to her. She's looking a little better now that they're not under the charms, but he's never seen Meep look that unwell, not since... 

"**You want I go alone?** " he asks. " **It's not a bad place for me. You wait here and...**" 

"** _No_ ** **. You don't ** ** _leave _ ** **me again!** " she snarls. " **It is bad place for everyone. You can't be ** ** _alone _ ** **here.**" 

It's selfish, but Link can't help being relieved that Meep won't let him be on his own. There's something creepy about this valley, even if _ he _feels no physical repercussions to being there. 

Still, with the effect it has on Meep, the main road isn't a very attractive option right now. There's got to be a way to avoid those charms and their magic. Perhaps if they climb up the cliffs and travel up there until they can spot the entrance... Meep isn't the strongest climber out there, but there's not too much to go and for all the steepness of the wall, there's a few places they can stop and regain their breath. 

It's a plan that Meep agrees to, and one that they'll set in motion in the morning. In the cold of the night it'd be suicide to climb anything, and they badly need the rest. They eat some cold meat and go to sleep. Or at least, Meep does. For Link, sleep just won't come. Perhaps it's the cold that pierces his bones, even huddled against his friend and wrapped in his cloak. More likely though it's the proximity of an enemy hideout, and this shrine he accidentally summoned. If they yigas see it, they'll guess he was there, especially if he decides to borrow the slate from Meep and activate it... Which he might do because that will make their trip back to their sand seal a good deal shorter. 

But maybe he should let them find him anyway? The yigas were dead boy's enemy, _ Hyrule's _enemies but why should that make them his foe? He's not trying to stop Ganon so they should have nothing against him. Sure he purified Vah Ruta but that was an accident, one he blames on Sidon's too charming kindness. The yigas aren't his enemy. 

They're not exactly _ his _friends either though, the annoyingly reasonable voice of the dead boy reminds him. He's in this mess because of Ganon, and the yigas were the one who helped his return. If not for them, dead boy and his friends would have had normal lives. Sidon would have his sister. Yunobo wouldn't have grown up an orphan. Thousands of people wouldn't have died under the fire of guardians or been killed by hunger. 

Maybe the yigas wouldn't murder him once they realise he's not trying to foil their plans, but Link decides he'd rather not know whether they like him or not. He doesn't need that confirmation of his cowardice and selfishness, thanks. 

Walking on top of the cliff turns out to be the right choice. Meep isn't so unwell anymore, and Link isn't creeped out by yiga symbols. The only thing they have to worry about is stones falling down along the cliff and revealing their position. The first time that happens there's no one on the path under and they learn to be careful. 

They have to, because after a little while they start seeing people moving all the way down there. There are a few clowns dressed in a weird, blood red unitard adorned with that reversed sheikah eyes they've seen on the frog statues. Yigas are many things, but _subtle_ isn't one of them. 

They're also not terribly alert. Two of the archers are just hidden behind a rock and munching on bananas, only checking sometimes that the others can't see them. Link can't blame them. When they get near enough, they see that the door of the hideout is an enormous slab of stone that he can't ever hope to move on his own. He checks if magnesis or stasis could help, but the door reacts to neither. There's got to be a mechanism inside to open it, but judging by the yigas' attitude, they're pretty confident about their security system. 

"**It's not easy to get in**," Meep whispers. 

Link nods, already wondering if there's an alternative. It would make sense, wouldn't it? An underground hideout needs to have a safety exit, especially one belonging to spies and assassins who need to sometimes go out discreetly. Link wouldn't be surprised if there were half a dozen tunnels in the area that lead to this same hideout, and those should be a lot less guarded, if at all. 

That theory is approved by Meep, and she easily agrees to look for another entrance. Link suspects that she doesn't feel up to fighting down there, where she'll feel the influence of those charms. He won't blame her for it, though he wouldn't mind a chance to get his hands on the odd bows the yigas have. Leaving behind that opening, the two of them keep going, going up into colder territories. Link doesn't expect them to find a secret entrance quite that easily, because of course the cunning yigas will be _ cleverly _hiding their secret doors, won't they?

He's in for a surprise when after just a couple hours, they come to another depression in the ground where red flags are flying. So much for hiding, and for cunning.

Link peeks down into a vast yard encircling a deep hole in the ground. Two men are inside, a short, ancient looking one covered in furs is pacing around a fat tall man sitting on the ground who wears a mask he had lifted on top of his head. Due to the angle Link can't see his face, but he's more interested in that little old sheikah anyway. Dead boy knew that face. A century changed it a lot, but there's no possible doubt. It makes no sense though; back in the days Robbie was in charge of security at the castle. When he wasn't supervising the Guardians half his job was countering the yigas' plans, so what is _ he _doing here? 

"Then we'll have to provoke a new Blood Moon and force Ganon to use up some of his power," Robbie is saying. "It's been far too long, two months already. Can your people take care of that?" 

"Oh, sure," the other man replies with a dismissive hand wave. "Don't see why we _ have _to, though. Shouldn't your man be handling that?" 

"_Our man_ should be handling many things, Kogah, and he's avoiding all of them or I wouldn't be here. Lady Impa gave me orders for you. We need to find him and..." 

"And how's the old girl doing anyway? Since you've arrived it's been all business. Relax a moment, take a nap, tell me about the family. How is auntie?" 

The fury on Robbie's face reminds Link of a lynel about to strike. He could be just as dangerous too, dead boy whispers to him. This was not a man you wanted as your enemy, and yet this Kogah, a yiga who should have feared him, is chatting with him without the least bit of worry. 

"How dare you speak of lady Impa this way!" 

"She's my father's mother's daughter. That makes her my auntie. Or who you prefer I call her _Lady Impa_," Kogah says in a ridiculously dramatic voice, "_slave of the cursed goddess, enemy of my master, that damned woman whose guts I long to rip out with my bare hands for foiling my cunning plans?_" 

The yiga laughs at his own declaration, and Robbie rolls his eyes with more exasperation than real anger. 

"There's a middle ground to be found, Kogah. Surely even you can see why calling your commander _ auntie _is in bad taste."

The yiga only laughs at that remark, unconcerned that he might anger not one, but two powerful sheikahs. That's either very brave or very stupid, because Link knows dead boy wouldn't have wanted to cross Impa back in the days, and he'd also seen Robbie wrestle Guardians a few times when they malfunctioned. 

The conversation is cut short when a stone door Link hadn't noticed opens on the side of the yard. A white haired young woman enters, followed by one of those clowns in tight clothes. 

"Robbie, there are news of the boy," the woman announced breathlessly. "He was seen in Gerudo City!" 

"Yes, Nali saw him just a few days ago," the man with her adds. "He was entering the city, and then she spotted him at a local bar talking with the former captain of the guards." 

Kogah jumps to his feet and turns to his underling. The mask he quickly drops on his face is the same as that of other yiga, but there's something in the way he stands proudly, arms crossed on his chest, that tells Link _ this _yiga is really something else. The clown who was wilfully disrespecting Robbie is gone, replaced by a commanding man. 

"Was the creature with him?" 

"Yes, Lord Kohga."

Without thinking, Link grabs Meep's hand, linking their fingers, and they exchange a concerned look. These people are talking about them, and he doesn't like it. 

"And did he go speak with Lady Riju?" 

"Not that Nali could tell, and she’s been on the lookout. He has kept out of sight since that first day. Gerudo City is a good place for someone trying to hide." 

"And we know he's in no hurry to do his duty," Robbie grumbles. "Let's hope he won't take as long this time. Maybe we can motivate him a bit, hm?" 

He looks up at Kogah who nods but says nothing. He might be a lord to the yiga, but Robbie's the one in charge of whatever is happening. 

"My dear, go tell our friends what we know about the boy," Robbie orders the sheikah woman. "Lady Impa's orders are the following: test the boy, kill the monster. Without that corrupting influence he's sure to fall back in line. And see about having a Blood Moon provoked, we don’t want our _ other _friend in the castle to get too comfortable." 

The woman and the yiga at her side boy quickly before leaving the yard, careful to close the door behind them. 

"Gather your best, most faithful warriors," Robbie orders Kogah as soon as they're alone. "Impa's real orders are to _ kill _that boy. We can't trust him, not if our readings of the shrines are correct." 

"Secret orders, uh?" Kogah chuckles, dropping his more serious attitude. "That's rather exciting."

"There's nothing fun in this. From what we could gather about him, he might be trying to leave Hyrule and we don't want that again, do we?" 

Link squeezes Meep's hand, and she squeezes back. They _ know _ . How can they know? He didn't tell anyone, at least no one he didn't trust... And he can't imagine Yunobo betraying him, nor Sidon for that matter. Not even after Link's lies were exposed, not to these people who want him dead. Sidon is good and kind and honest and he’d _ never _do anything that might hurt Link. Maybe they've just guessed then. If they've been watching him that whole time, the erratic pattern of his travels might have hinted at his true intentions.

"Heard it was a real pain to get the hero's soul back from the Twilight Realm," Kogah groans. "Still, even this is a bother. It's been a few times we've had bad luck with heroes, maybe Her Greatness has lost her touch for choosing them."

"It is _ their _fault for failing Her, not Hers for choosing them!" Robbie scolds him. "You had better be careful, Kogah. If your faith were to waver, your auntie won't hesitate to have you replaced for a more orthodox man." 

The threat doesn't bother Kogah who just shrugs. 

"Do we _ really _have to reset Vah Ruta?" he asks, sitting down once more. "It's always a pain to manipulate Malice. That stuff doesn't realise we're on its side and I've had a few people die a few years back when we had to re-inoculate Rudania." 

"It can wait until after the blood moon, when Ganon's control over it is weaker," Robbie concedes. "It should fight back a little less that way, if my research is correct... And it _ is _of course. Just be sure to warn me when it's done so I can start the process of eliminating its champion." 

Kogah lets out a surprised cry at the news. Link, from his hidden spot, bites his fist so he doesn't do the same. 

"It's _ that _serious?" the yiga exclaims. "We haven't done that sort of things since the old sages started rebelling!" 

"Lady Impa says we should get rid of the old champions so they don't distract the next hero with questions about this boy," Robbie explains. "They were never quite as loyal as we'd hoped anyway. The rito doubted everything we said, and that gerudo woman was too curious about the queen's death... Not that the other two were all that innocent either. Even in death the goron caused us problems, and if they hadn't _ all _encouraged the princess’s rebellious spirit, we wouldn't have had all that trouble. It's easier to get rid of them and start anew. The next ones should be desperate enough to accept everything we ask of them."

Having heard enough, Link stands from his hiding place and steals the slate from Meep to take the paraglider. He then flies down toward the men, ignoring Meep soft chirps as she tries to stop him. When his feet touch the ground, he takes his sword in hand. 

With their backs to him and entranced by their discussion, the two old men don't notice his approach until it's too late and his blade is sliding between Kogah's ribs. That one is for Zelda, Link decides. The second stab, in Robbie's chest to silence his screams, is for Mipha whom the old man wanted to kill a second time. Another blow is for Daruk who never got to meet the son he so wanted to love, followed by one for Yunobo who grew up never knowing how adored he was by his father. For Urbosa, Link slits Kogah's throat, silencing for good the organisation that murdered her dearest friend, the queen. For Revali whose laughter is lost to the world, a deep slash to Robbie's neck that nearly decapitates him. The one that follows is for Sidon who lost his sister, who Link desperately doesn't want to miss. Another blow for Meep who died just because the two of them dared to want a little happiness. One for his sister. One for his father. One for the people who died in Castle Town. One for those slaughtered in the plains. One for the victims of Guardians. One for everyone lost to hunger and monsters. One for the survivors who still live in fear. 

Link continues hacking at the two bodies long after they've lost all semblance of humanity, just because they're _ there _and he can't kill all the other people who plotted against his friends. He doesn't stop until he hears Meep chirping softly being him and he turns to find her terrified. 

When he looks down at his hand, her fear makes sense. Blood has turned his skin as red as hers. He stares at the blade he’s holding for a long time, until the realisation of what he has done catches up with him. He’s killed these two men. He’d do it again, given the chance. He killed them but they deserved it, didn’t they.

"They killed my friends!" he cries, heavy tears clouding his vision. "They killed everyone I loved! They would have killed _ you _again!" 

Softly chirping at him, Meep comes near and pulls him in her arms. Link drops the sword and clings to her like a drowning man.

"I can't be alone again," he sobs. "I can't let people hurt you. I'll kill all of them so they don't hurt you!" 

"**No one hurts me** ," Meep promises, petting his hair with one hand while the other holds him close. " **We go away in the desert. We find a good place. I don't let them hurt you again.**" 

Link nods, too choked on tears for words. He's lost everything but he has Meep and no one is taking her away, not again, not while he breathes. 

"**People will come, we leave now** ," Meep suggests. " **We find the hat and we leave to the desert, yes?**" 

Again Link nods, but he's too exhausted to move. Meep tries to let go of him, but he desperate whimper escapes his throat and he clings tighter to her. Undeterred, Meep takes his hand and leads him around the yard until they find a big ornate chest that easily opens when Meep presses the slate against its lock. Inside there's a beautiful golden headpiece decorated with precious stones that Meep stores into the slate. Just in time too, because there's noise coming from deeper inside the hideout. Meep leads Link to the exit and once they're outside, she warps them back to Gerudo Town.


	23. Vah Naboris

Link doesn't know how they got inside Gerudo Town. For a few hours after their escape from Kurasa Valley, things are a blur and he just lets Meep drag him this way or that. Someone gives him something to eat at some point, a warm soup that contrasts with the cold around him. He must have been hungry. He feels a little better like this. 

Long after his bowl is empty, Link looks around. They are inside a house that doesn't contain much except a bed, a hearth, and an old wardrobe. Link is sitting next to the fire, entirely naked. Someone must have cleaned him because he's no longer covered in blood, but there's no one with him. 

Panic seizes him. He's not supposed to be alone. Never again. He wants to call Meep's name, but no sound leaves his throat. He's got to find her. She could be in danger. This house is gerudo, what if someone saw them and tried to rescue him, what if she's hurt, what if she's _dead_? 

Link jumps to his feet and runs to the door, desperate to find his friend. Before he can step outside, Meep comes back inside. Link feels tears rolling down his cheeks as he hugs her, barely noticing Muava is there too. She doesn't matter. All that matter is Meep being safe, and him not being alone.

"We arrived just in time," Muava notes. "I think you running around naked would have been the last straw, little vai." 

A second ago Link didn't care about being undressed. Suddenly the idea is unbearable because it means Muava can see his scar, the mark of his failure.

"Did you remove my clothes?" he asks, holding Meep in a way that will help hide that scar.

"Your little friend did," Muava explains, pointing at Meep. "You wouldn't let anyone else touch you, but we couldn't leave you like that." 

Blood everywhere, like that time a century ago. Not his own this time. He can't decide if that's better or worse. Either way he failed, but last time death saved him from consequences. 

"You're not wounded," Muava continues, pushing everyone inside so she can close the door. "But you've been a little out of it since you arrived last night. Your little friend was very worried and didn't want to leave you, but I'm not so young and I needed help to put your clothes to dry." 

Link just nods. 

Of course he's not wounded. Those two old men never expected his attack, they had no weapons with which to defend themselves. It was cowardly to attack them this way, but they were not worthy of an honourable duel anyway, were they? Link could have excused them for plotting his death because, at the end of the day, he _has_ betrayed Hylia. But what they'd been saying about the Champions... Even now the memory made him sick. The four champions had given up _everything _for Hylia's battle, they'd even forfeited their own lives in the fight, and still Robbie had spoken of them with such contempt, talking about destroying them like they were _things_. 

Instinctively, Link tighten his hold on Meep. They were going to kill her too. Feeling his fear, Meep pats his head. 

"**It's safe now,**" she promises. "**We have the hat. We go in the desert. We go somewhere safe and no one hurts you again**." 

Link nods. It's the plan. It's been the plan since he came back to Meep. Find a way out. 

It's the plan but something about it doesn't sit right anymore. He didn't mind abandoning Hyrule to its fate before, but something is different now. If he leaves, the sheikahs will find another hero, another kid whose life will get ruined for Hylia's glory. If he leaves, no one will warn the champions' ghosts that the people who should have been their allies are seeking to destroy them. 

If he leaves, Hyrule will find a new saviour, but his old friends won't be around to see it. They'll be replaced by new champions, and... 

For some reason his thoughts go to Sidon and Yunobo. What if _they're_ the ones picked next to pilot the divine beasts, only to get corrupted the way the current ones were? The very idea makes him sick, but it's not like he can do anything about this, can he? It's too late for him, Impa already ordered his murder. If she's remained the way she was when dead boy knew her, forgiveness won't be among her qualities. 

He's not a hero. He's just a coward, too weak to save even the people he most loves.

"We go into the desert," Link agrees. "I protect you." 

It's too late for everyone else, but Meep he can still save. 

  
  


The vast desert in front of them looks more impassable than ever before, spreading as far as the eye can see. It feels stupid to try and cross it now, but Link can't back up. 

Some of his uneasiness might come from the clothes Muava gave him. A voe's outfit suited for the desert, she explained to him, looking sorry that her 'little vai' would have to dress the wrong way, but determined Link should not ruin the pretty clothes he bought. Muava had gotten it long ago, planning to gift it to whatever voe she'd fall for, but she seemed glad to get rid of it. She never seems sad, but Link can tell she regrets her life didn't turn out differently. That makes two of them. 

The clothes aren't bad of course. They are a lot easier to move in than his vai outfit, and offer better protection against enemies and against the heat. But they don't really cover the scar on Link's chest, and that's a little difficult to stomach. He hates the curiosity in some women's eyes as Muava guides Meep and him around, the pity in others'. Frelly cries in horror at the sight. He hates her for it. He hates everyone who looks at it. It’s the proof he should have died, like everyone he's let down. 

At least in the desert, there is no one to look at him. No one at his side but Meep, who doesn't care who he should be, and the sand seals that are just enjoying the run. And, in the distance, the perpetual sandstorm around Naboris. 

When they're far enough from the city, they stop their seals so Link can take a better look at the Thunder Helm. It's a gorgeous thing made of gold and precious stones. It looks to be just ornamental, but when Link licks one of the stones he recognises the taste of magic on them, far stronger than he would have expected. Having nothing to lose, he puts it on. Nothing happens. 

"It looks good," Meep says. 

Link nods, unsure how to explain how it feels to be wearing the helm. It's not a sensation of power, not exactly, though maybe there's a bit of that too. Mostly he feels protected, the way dead boy used to do when he fought by Urbosa's side. Almost as if there were something of hers in that helm.

Still, Link isn't stupid enough to risk their lives on nothing more than a sensation. With sand seals, it's easy enough to reach the outpost near Naboris's territory in a few hours, and that's the perfect place to conduct some good old science. The Thunder Helm gets hidden in the slate to avoid questions, and they knock on the door. Sudrey is rather surprised to see Link and Meep again, especially in a gerudo outfit. 

"Found yourself a new lover?" she asks, gesturing at his clothes. 

"Found myself a new grandma," Link retorts with a smirk. "Do you mind if we stay here a couple hours? We've got to check on something before we head in the desert." 

"Still going on about that? It's madness! Vah Naboris is..." 

"Oh right, about Naboris, think it'll attack our seals? We kind of need them so..." 

"No, seals have always been fine so far," Sudrey mutters. "It'll kill anything, but not the seals. Not sure why." 

Because Urbosa liked them, dead boy provides. She did not even hide it, she thought sand seals were adorable. Perhaps enough of her survives in the Divine Beast to remember that. 

"It will kill _you _though!" Sudrey insists, hands on her hips. "It almost did the first time you came here, remember? You have to stay away until the chief can take care of this!" 

Link shrugs and comes to the window she uses to observe the Divine Beast. It looks a good way away, but with legs so long it could come back their way pretty soon. 

"And what's the chief planning to do?" he asks, scooting over so Meep too can look outside. "It's a big thing for _one _gerudo to attack." 

"Bomb arrows," Sudrey explains with a sigh, as if it's an obvious answer. Maybe it is. Bombs are a good answer to most of life's problems. "The chief says Naboris draws its power from the ground, and damaging its feet could help stop it. At least, it'd be worth a try... If we could approach it." 

"Uh, that's a neat idea." 

It'd be easy enough to do. Link doesn’t have bomb arrows, but he has normal bombs, doesn’t he? And if the Thunder Helm works he can get close without risk. It'd be so easy to stop Naboris on its tracks and make sure it couldn't hurt anyone... 

It would leave the Divine Beast exposed and without its main defence though. _Not _a good idea when there are sheikahs out there who want to destroy what is left of the old champions. Even the sheikahs might think twice about bothering Urbosa while she's protected by thunderstorms, so better leave her Beast to roam free a little longer. 

For now, Link tries to thank Sudrey for her reluctant hospitality by sharing some fresh fruit he bought in town. After what appears to be weeks of dried meat and candied fruits, that offer does improve her mood a good deal. They chat for a while until they all go to sleep, Link and Meep borrowing again the bed of her dead coworker. 

Link waits until Sudrey is asleep, then waits some more until Meep is snoring the way she does when nothing can wake her. When he's sure no one can stop him he walks outside, wrapped in his cloak. It's a meagre barrier against the cold, but he's not going very far anyway because when he opens the door, a sandstorm greets him. 

Putting on the Thunder Helm, Link strides toward Vah Naboris, stopping only meters away from one of its feet. As before the Divine Beast's protection system activates, feeling the air with electricity and magic. This time, Link doesn't run. It's not that he trusts the Helm that much, and more that he knows Naboris can't do anything to him. Meep is safe inside, and death is meaningless to him. 

"Strike!" he yells at the machine. "Try and kill me of you can!" 

For all of his bravado, Link still screams in fear when the attack finally comes, a salve of lightning that cannot touch him, revealing a dome of magic all around him. The helm works. Meep and him can go look for that way out safely if they like. It should feel like a victory. It doesn't. It can't, when he knows what awaits the champions, his... _Dead boy_'s friends. He's dooming them. 

Not like he's strong enough to save them anyway, Link tells himself as he returns inside the lookout post. He can't save anyone except himself and Meep, if they're lucky. 

  
  


  
  


There were a few faults in Link's brilliant plan to escape Hyrule through the desert, and he's starting to become painfully aware of them. They can be summarised to this: Vah Naboris's lightning is only one of several ways the Divine Beast can inconvenience them, and somehow it's not even the most annoying. 

After three days in a sandstorm, Link would almost enjoy being struck by lightning. It would be a pleasant distraction from the sand that's getting everywhere in his body. He's sure his lungs are filled with it at this point. His eyes certainly are, making it hard to see. Not that it matters because, on the whole, there's _nothing _to see except, o joy, _more blasted sand_. And of course there's a strong chance they've been going in circles that whole time, because the storm is still messing with the sheikah slate, which means they have no idea where they're going. It also means they can't warp away sadly, something Link feels increasingly tempted to do the instant he gets the chance. If he doesn't, Meep might. She's threatened to do it at least fifteen times this morning alone. 

As suddenly as it started, the storm stops that afternoon, giving them a chance to find their bearing. At least, that's the theory. What actually happens is that they look around and see a large cloud on one side, endless sand on this other. The only thing rising from the ground for miles around is a group of crumbled columns not too far. There's something a little foreboding about that, about the remnants of a building so far away from everything else. And they really are in the middle of nowhere; the slate is working again and it tells them they are almost at the end of the map. Still, without the cover of the dust cloud it's getting mighty hot out here, and those ruins should give them some shade at least. 

They reach the ruins as the sun starts coming down, colouring the horizon with a delicate pink. It isn't so hot anymore, but the ruins still look like a decent place to spend the night... Or it would, if the seals agreed to go near them, which they don't. The animals stop a short distance from the first crumbled column, and no amount of pleading or ordering will get them moving in that direction. It's not a big problem because they know the sand seals won't run away, but it's unsettling. 

"**They looked scared,**" Meep mutters as they walk those last meters to the ruins. "**It's a bad place. Weird smell.**" 

Now that she mentions it, Link can feel it too, a faint stench of rotten meat. More worrying is a slight tremor to the ground, not so far in the distance. It's different from the earthquake that followed the rising of the tower on the plateau, perhaps because they're on sand rather than good firm ground. This time nothing looks to be moving, yet the source of the vibration gets stronger and weaker by turn, as if it were in motion. 

When Link spots the moving dust cloud, it's almost too late. Something is coming their way, somehow alerted to their presence. Something fast. Something huge. Something that swims through the sand like their seals. 

"**Run!**" Link orders Meep, pushing her toward a nearby crumbled column. "**It's coming!**" 

Just as they throw themselves on those dark stones, the tremors become so strong Link almost can’t breathe. Just on the edge of the column, a gigantic creature rises from the sand and jumps high. It fills the air with its stench, hurts their ears with its loud cry as it falls down and hits the sand before burrowing out of view. 

"**What's that?**" Meep asks. Link doesn't know when she started clinging to him, but he holds her close too, shaken by that encounter. 

"**I don't know. We go back to the seals and run?**" 

They wait for the dust and tremors to move further into the ruins, and hop down from their perch. Immediately they feel the ground shaking again, and they barely have time to jump back on the column before the creature returns, emerging from the sand exactly where they were a second ago. 

It knows where they are, and it knows when they try to escape, Link realises. How? It can't see them under the sand, yet it knew their exact position. Maybe it heard them? 

To test that out, Link shouts as loud as he can. Nothing, the creature doesn't so much as come their way (but Meep punches his shoulder for scaring her). If not sound, then... 

Against Meep's vocal protests, Link grabs a piece of rubble and hurls it away. The second it touches the ground, they see the creature dash to attack it, rising from the ground and swallowing it like it's nothing. 

"**It feels when things touch the sand,**" Link mutters. "**If we run, it comes after us.**" 

"**How can we escape?**" 

Without saying it, they both know the easy answer to that question. The slate can take them back to gerudo city, and then... And then what? Rent more seals? They can't give up, not when they're so close to escaping Hyrule. 

"**Maybe we can kill it**," Link suggests. 

"**It is very big**," Meep retorts. 

She's not wrong. She's even right. 

"**We're very strong**," Link counters. "**Best team. Together we can do anything.**" 

It's half a boast and half sincere. Meep grins at Link and, after retrieving her bow, hands him the slate. None of Link's weapons are terribly impressive, some bent, rusted swords that'll break at first impact and a rustic club stolen from a monster. Nothing that'll be much help against that thing. They'll need to be clever for this, and Link isn't sure that's his strong point. 

The first problem is making the creature expose itself, and it's not the hardest part of this. They just need to hop off from their perch, or to throw something and the monster will come. How to force it stay exposed though, how to harm it... 

Looking through the slate for something to use, Link finds himself on the rune screen. Well, that's always an option, isn't it? 

"**Want to play with bombs?**" he asks Meep, grinning madly as he materialises one in his hand. 

She answers with a wide smirk. Making things explode always is so much fun. 

Just as Link hoped, even the ever so light bomb hitting the sand is enough to attract the monster. That thing rushes toward it, emerging from under. Link waits until its jaws close on the bomb to make it explode, sending some of the monster's teeth flying and spraying them in black blood. For a few seconds the creature lays on the sand, whining and wheezing pathetically before burrowing itself once more. It'll take a while, but they _can _kill it. 

Or maybe it doesn't have to be so long, Link wonders as he calls forth another bomb. Seeing the monster try to swallow the bomb reminded him of a story about a prince and a giant monster. For once, thinking of Sidon doesn't hurt; instead it inspires him. Sure his puny bombs aren't anywhere as devastatingly powerful as a certain zora prince, but they should still do something pretty nasty things to the monster's guts. 

Link doesn't lose a moment putting that theory to the test. He throws the bomb on the sand once more, but waits a few seconds more after the monster swallowed it to detonate it. The result is a firework of viscera, teeth and skin as the creature's belly violently explodes, leaving a gaping hole in its body. This time it doesn't start moving again. 

"**Good work**," Meep congratulates him. "**Next time, I make explode too.**" 

Hopefully there won't be a next time, but that's a fair demand. For now Link gives her back the slate. Meep goes to check on the seals and grab food for dinner, while Link hops down from their broken column to go inspect the thing he's just killed. The beast stinks something awful, but the taste of its flesh is not unpleasant, a little like a fish coated in dirt and ashes, though that last part might just be the effect of the bomb. Link gathers some to store in the slate, until he makes an odd discovery among the monster's guts: a metal chest. Inside Link finds a gorgeous golden spear, much like the ones the guards had in Gerudo Town. Aside from what he was given in Zora's Domain, this is the most beautiful weapon he's held since waking up. Maybe it was good luck they stumbled upon that monster. 

That thought doesn't last. While they were fighting, night has started falling and when the moon rises on the horizon, it's glowing an unnatural shade of red. 

His new spear tucked against his hip and his arms full of meat, Link runs back to the column. He doesn't know if that giant beast counts as a servant of Ganon, but he won't leave himself exposed as he waits for an answer. Soon enough Meep joins him, just as unsure as he is, and together they stare at the sky. 

When at last the magic of the blood moon flares into action, none of its power strikes near them. Perhaps that thing was a territorial animal and not a monster, Link wonders. Or perhaps its master was dissatisfied and refused to return it to life after it failed to kill Hylia's hero. 

"You must hurry," a voice says behind them. "Your princess is weakening." 

Startled, Link nearly falls down from the ruined column. When he turns around, he finds that tall man again, made of shadows and ember as he was upon their first meeting. Link hates that Meep kneels down before him, though he can't fault her for it. That man returned her to life, she has a right to be thankful. 

"My princess is dead," Link spits. She has to be. He remembers an army of guardians, her terrified face at the sight of his blood. Her power hadn’t awakened. Perhaps it never would have. Robbie made it sound as though Hylia had been unhappy with her chosen vessel.

"Not yet," the man laughs. "She is stronger than I expected, and your return gave her hope. Still, better hurry boy. Hylia is determined to break her before she can be freed. If the princess gives in, Hylia will turn Her sight to you.. and _you're _not strong enough to resist Her." 

"Why do you say that? Are you on my side?" 

The man, unsurprisingly, laughs. It's a wicked sound, full of ancient hatred, that has Link shivering. 

"I would crush you like an ant if you were not so useful to me, boy, the same I would do any hylian,” the man snarls with a cruel smile. “But so long as we have the same goal, I suppose you can tell yourself you're on _my _side." 

Link shivers at the man's smirk, but that answer is a comfort of sorts. At least the master of monsters is honest, and that's more than can be said of Hylia's servants. 

"Guess that'll do it for now, lord Ganon. But I'm..." 

"_Ganondorf_!" the dark man barks. 

"What?" 

"Your goddess's games have taken enough from me! I won't stand to have my name corrupted too. I am King _Ganondorf _of the gerudo, and you will address me as such, boy!" 

For a second, Link doesn't know what to answer, torn between anger at this man who dares demand respect after causing such destruction and... and what? Pity doesn't sound right, not directed at this proud gerudo king who'd likely murder him for that. Still, Link knows about having his life taken from him for the glory of Hylia. 

His hesitation is a mistake. Time is running out, already the light of the blood moon is receding. Ganondorf, seeing it too, smirks wider. 

"Perhaps I shall teach you a lesson, boy, so you know to _respect _me next time we meet." 

The gerudo man snaps his fingers. Link gasps at the sight of an enormous blob of shadow taking the form of the creature they just took down. He exchanges a panicked look with Meep, already wondering if they can kill the creature again. The man's laughter interrupts those thoughts. 

"Pathetic," he mocks, and with a quick hand gesture de shadowy monster vanishes into thin air. "I will give you that, boy: none of Her previous heroes were ever as amusing as you are. Now hurry, and do what you must." 

"But it's not my fight!" Link shouts, too late. Ganondorf, already, has vanished along the rest of his cursed magic.

Quiet returns to the desert, a deafening silence surrounding vast emptiness. Link glares at the spot where Ganondorf's shadowy form stood, furious at this man who ruined his life as thoroughly as Hylia did, only to now make demands. The sooner he's out of Hyrule the better. They can all self destroy, it's not his problem. 

"**Let's go**," he hisses at Meep. "**We find the way out.**" 

"**It's late**," she protests. "**We rest first?**" 

That'd be smart, but Link doesn't feel like being smart. Not now. Not after new lies about Zelda. Not with this temptation to protect his old friends and the new ones. Not when he feels so lost and on the verge of making all the wrong choices. 

"**When we're out of the map, we rest**," Link promises between clenched teeth. 

It should give him pause when Meep doesn't protest. When she looks at him with worry and won't stop glancing at him as they get back to the sand seals. When she's quiet as they check the map one last time so they're going the right way. Yet Link doesn't notice. The day has been too long, he's too exhausted. Freedom is too close. Another hour or two and he's out of Hyrule. Another hour or two and he'll never have to think about the people stupid enough to call him their friend. 

In the end it doesn't even take a full hour before the seals stop again and refuse to go on. This time there's no ruins to scare them. Nothing but the endless desert, sprawling to the horizon, empty and desolate. Without asking to check the slate, Link knows they've reached the end of the map. His heart beats so hard in his chest that it becomes painful, his stomach twists nearly to the point of nausea as Link takes one step. Then another. 

On the third step, he finds himself blocked. 

There's nothing there. No change in the sand. Yet try as he might, Link cannot take another step. If he tries, his body presses against an invisible barrier, his mouth fills with the taste of magic, stronger than he has ever known it, and in his mind he hears a commanding voice, not unlike the one that spoke to him in the sheikah shrines. 

_You cannot go any further._

Link crumbles to his knees, his head and arms still pressed against that unseen wall. It's over. There will be no escape. 

Tears of frustration roll down his cheeks. Meep sits near him and wraps her arms around him in silence, knowing as he does what this means. They are prisoners of a dying country, with no choice but to wait for their own death somewhere, or run towards it by attacking the Royal Castle. Either way, their fate is in Hyrule. 

Then, as he continues crying, Link realises with horror that he might feel relief over this. Ever since he heard Robbie talk about destroying what remains of the champions, the thought has made him sick, enough to push him to cold blooded murder. These people were his friends. He _loved _them, and he loved Zelda, and plenty more people he doesn’t remember. He is no hero, he doesn't want to be, but he doesn't need to be a hero to try and protect his friends. It's just something anyone decent would do. 

He's _not _someone decent, but he can still be a good friend. He won't kill Ganon, but if he has to slaughter every sheikah in the world to protect his old friends... He's a murderer already, what's a little more blood on his hands? 

A weight on his shoulder startles him. Meep freezes in the act of wrapping him in his cloak and lets out a concerned chirp. Link stares at her. He'll murder for her too. And for Yunobo. Even for Sidon. _Especially _for Sidon, however painful it is to admit that the zora matters to him. 

"**We make no choice now**," Meep tells him in a soft voice. "**It's a long day. Not the right time for choices.**" 

Link continues staring at her until his eyes sting because he's so tired he can't remember to blink. Which means she might have a point. 

"**You sleep**," Meep insists, pressing on his shoulders to make him lie down. "**I make the fire then I sleep too. It's a very long day.**" 

Unable to resist, Link lets himself collapse on the sand. The last thing he feels, as he closes his eyes, is Meep carefully wrapping his cloak around him as he passes out. 

  
  


Link wakes up coughing sand. A storm crept up on them while they were asleep. Naboris's storm, judging by the unpleasant taste in Link's mouth, though since he can't hear its steps, the Beast must still be a good distance away. Just in case, Link checks that the Thunder Helm is still on his head as it’s been for days, so they're not taken by surprise.

Meep soon wakes, and she too is as unhappy as him about this change of weather. 

"**No warping**," she grunts, munching on a baked apple and shaking the slate, as if that might make it behave. "**We have time to decide where**." 

"**The sea village**," Link sighs, knowing it's still their best option. At least, it's the best option for Meep, the safest place for her. For him... He needs to find a way to keep an eye on the sheikah. After a night of sleep he no longer consider mass murder a realistic option, but he can't let them do as they please either. 

"**One day, we go there and live happy**," Meep agrees. "**Not now. You want to do other things, yes? You want to protect your friends.**" 

"**My friends are dead.**" 

They were_ dead boy's_ friends, anyway, he reminds himself. No matter how protective that ghost inside his head makes him feel, Link doesn't doubt for a second that the Champions would despise what he is now. A coward. A murderer. Someone who won't follow orders, no matter how many lives are at stake. 

"**I am your friend**," Meep corrects. "**Not dead. Rock boy is your friend. Not dead. Fish boy...**" 

"**Not my friend.**" 

"**And also not dead. A lot of people who like you are not dead. If you want to protect them from the evil people and the Master, I help.**" 

"**I do not fight your Master.**" 

Meep shrugs at that, and makes a grimace. 

"**Not **_**my **_**master, just **_**the **_**master. I am a free bokoblin. I choose my hylian friend with a squirrel brain and many problems. Now, I help you. It's fun. Good things to fight and eat.**" 

"**Big monsters too**," Link mutters. "**And people who kill you.**" 

Again Meep shrugs. "**We all die. But I think the Master likes you**," she adds smuggly. "**He will bring me back again, you are so bad at being alone. We all die, but I'm great and I always come back.**" 

Though there is something disturbing to the idea that someone like Ganondorf appreciates him, Link can't help but laugh at the confidence with which Meep said that. She quickly joins him, but laughter dies fast when they hear heavy steps approaching. The sand seals get nervous, but they're just smart enough to stay close to Link and the protection of the Thunder Helm. 

Soon, Vah Naboris appears through the flying sand, as imposing and terrifying as ever. As before it takes aim at them, but its lightning is now ineffective. They just need to wait it out, Link thinks. Once it's gone with its storm, they can warp safely and... And what? It seems even Meep wants him to be a hero now, telling him to protect his friends. He's no hero though. He's just tired and hopeless and lost. 

His eyes stuck on Naboris, Link bites his bottom lip. What he needs is someone wiser than himself. Once, that would have been Urbosa and Daruk, the only adults in their little group, the only people who understood the burden of his position, who forgave his mistakes, who cared for him as much as he cared for them. 

Maybe he still can go to them. It's worth a try, no? 

"**Do you want to try attacking something **_**really **_**big?**" he asks Meep. 

She looks at him in surprise, and follows his eyes toward Vah Naboris. Meep groans. 

"**You are very stupid. It's too dangerous.**"

"**I have a friend inside. She's a prisoner, but maybe I can free her.**" 

"**You said your friends are dead.**" 

"**They are.**" 

Meep stares at him for a few seconds, as if hoping he'll explain himself or say it's a joke. Link remains silent though, already wondering how they're going to do this. Sudrey said Naboris's feet might be sensitive to explosions. She spoke of special arrows they don't have, but they do have an unlimited supply of bombs so maybe... 

"**You are so stupid**," Meep sighs. "**Fine, I help. We do this how?**" 

  
  


It takes a little organisation, and, yes, a _lot _of idiocy to get them going. The best solution, they've decided, is to share a sand seal. Link is the pilot since he's more skilled at that, but mostly because Meep is better at aiming and she must be the one throwing bombs at Naboris's feet. Link has one arm wrapped tight around her chest, the other firmly gripping the seal's reins. If he lets her go she'll fall out of the space protected by the Thunder Helm and die. 

Well, he just won't let her go. 

The sand seal protests a little at the heavier than usual cargo, but still speeds up when ordered and soon Link is slaloming between Naboris's legs. All his focus is on guiding the seal so they don't hit the Beast, and he doesn't pay attention to what Meep is doing until she shouts at him to take cover. He forces the seal into a sharp turn, narrowly avoiding being stepped on while Meep detonates her bomb. 

One foot down. Three more to go. 

Not all legs are as easy to damage, and it takes them a few try to get the very last one. They succeed though. After four or five bombs that rolled the wrong way of were detonated too late, one impact touches Naboris's last foot. The Beast's reacting is a deafening cry, something that could pass for pain if Link didn't know first hand that Naboris is nothing but a machine. As the loud, metallic cry resonates, Naboris finally stops its endless walk to kneel down on the sand. Around them, the winds die down. 

"**Now what?**" Meep asks, hopping from the shield after Link released her. "**We go inside?**" 

"**I go alone**," Link replies, handing her the seal's reins. "**It's magic. Only one person can go, with the magic stone.**" 

Meep grunts unhappily at the news. "**If you try to leave again...**"

"**You try to come if you like**," Link retorts. "**Fish friend tried, he couldn't.**"

The bokoblin glares at him defiantly, but Link returns the stare, just as fierce as she is. It’s not that he doesn’t want her with him. In fact, the very last thing he could want is to face another of his old friends alone, to see Urbosa corrupted and have no one to support him. But there’s no choice. This, at least, he’ll always have to do alone.

With a furious growl, Meep looks away, accepting defeat.

“**I wait for you here?**”

“**In the sun? Bad idea**,” Link mutters. He hadn’t even thought of that, too busy figuring out how to get inside Naboris in the first place. “**I have a **_**good **_**idea. You go back to the village of women, I go there too when I’m done. If I am not there, you go to the horse place and wait there. That way, I know where to find you.**”

“**You will come back?**” Meep insists. “**You promise?**”

Link nods solemnly. It was a mistake to abandon Meep that time, he’s not doing that again. He’s lost too many friends to lose her too. And she must know it because she doesn’t hesitate to give him back the sheikah slate. She trusts him still, though he’s given her little reason for it.

Turning on the slate, Link checks the map to help Meep get an idea of where to head. “**The village is…**”

“**I know where it is**,” she smugly cuts him. “**I am a bokoblin. We always know where we are. Now you go. You save your friend. I meet the friend after?**”

“**No. She cannot leave the big thing.**”

Meep shakes her head and sighs, as if she’d looked forward to meet Link’s others friends. Perhaps she does. Bokoblins tends to live in groups, don’t they? When all this is over, Link needs to at least introduce her to Yunobo.

"**I'll be back soon**," Link promises as he runs onto the platform. Without surprise, the instant he's on it the platform rises, as does Naboris which resumes its endless walk through the desert. Link stares at Meep a little while, until she takes the seal's reins and leaves. He's alone again.

Being inside Naboris isn't so different from Ruta. Sure, a few things change, there's no Malice at the entrance but instead a small, creepy guardian whose weapon he steal after defeating it. There's also no water, since here the traps and puzzles are based on electricity instead. Still, on the whole, the two Divine Beast are roughly similar. Thanks to dead boy's memories of a previous visit, Link easily finds the map of the machine. Then it's just a matter of activating the terminals, just as he did inside Vah Ruta, and after that... 

For a few long minutes, Link stares at the command panel from a safe distance. It's right there, in the middle of the main room. Easy to access. Yet the idea of approaching it makes him nearly nauseous with terror. Everything else was so similar to Vah Ruta, he knows this too will be. Mipha was so ruthless under the spell of Malice, Link won mostly out of sheer luck. What hope can he have against Urbosa, fearsome even before corruption? 

Well, being stupid and lucky has always worked so far, hasn't it? Might as well try and see how long that will last. His shiny new spear in hand, Link climbs the ramp that leads to the command panel, only to stop when he hears a familiar voice. 

"Well, well, well... You sure do know how to keep a woman waiting." 

Urbosa is there, as tall and proud and she ever was. Link can't help the wave of longing that submerges him, even when he knows what's going to happen. If Mipha was a sister then Urbosa was a kind aunt, someone he admired as much as he loved her and whose approval he desperately wanted, he cannot help but miss her. He wants her to smile at him and say everything will be fine. 

She does smile, but there’s not warmth to it. 

"You're doing well," Urbosa mocks, something shifting in her voice as Malice covers her body. "But overconfidence can be a deadly foe." 

His feet firm on the ground, Link takes a deep breath and doesn't lose a second launching his spear at Urbosa, only for it to miss because she's gone. 

"Too slow," she whispers behind his ear as her sword pierces his chest. "You'll have to do better."

She twists her blade between his ribs, forcing an agonised cry from his lips, and Link dies. When he opens his eyes again, he's under the command panel, spear still in hand. Urbosa laughs. 

"You have proven to be a pathetic hero, boy," she taunts him. "I had ordered you to protect the princess with your life, I should have known you would fail. And now you presume you're strong enough to..." 

She disappears again, once more barely avoiding his spear before reappearing at his side and stabbing him right through the heart. 

"Pathetic," Urbosa spits when he is revived. "You are unworthy of my people's heirloom, boy. I should take it off from you, and your head too." 

Link barely listens, focused on finding a way to defeat her. Nothing she can say will be worse than what he's been thinking about himself these last few weeks, and he knows from what happened inside Vah Ruta it isn't her speaking, not really. Her insults don't matter. 

What does matter is her impossible speed. Throwing things at her won't work, he'll have to strike when she's close. Link hurriedly uses the slate to replace his spear with the blue sword he took from the tiny guardian, and to grab the dented shield he’s been using to surf. When Urbosa rushes at him again, so fast he can't see her move, Link barely manages to block her and hacks at her shield, trying to push it aside until he can create an opening and slash at her stomach.

The wound isn't deep enough to vanquish her. Link hesitated too much, for which he curses himself. Still, Urbosa is hurt and it makes her furious. She roars her rage and rises high in the air, invocating metal rods that she projects to the ground. They're easy to avoid, and truth be told, it feels like she's not even aiming for him.

That's because she's really not, he realises when the first shot of lightning hits one of the rods, disintegrating it instantly. Another one soon follows, not far behind Link. Immediately after, the one right next to him throws off sparks, but Urbosa's lightning magic encounters the protection of the Thunder Helm. Whatever magic is in that fancy hat is far more powerful than this corrupted version of Urbosa, and she cannot breach through it. She growls in rage and tries again, with the same result. After her third try, Link's ready to strike back and fight fire with fire. Or more appropriately, with electricity. While Urbosa readies another salve of lightning, Link takes his bow and aims at her with one of the few shock arrows he still has from his little adventure with Sidon. It hits her right in the chest, dragging a feral cry out of her.

When she launches at him again, Link is ready. It's harder this time, rage multiplies her strength, but that plays against her when she hits the top of Link's shield so hard that her sword's handle is stuck there. This time, Link doesn't hesitate. He closes his eyes and stabs right through her chest, pushing and twisting the light blue blade until he can hear thick drops of Malice dropping to the floor.

With tears in his eyes, Link lets go of the weapon and steps back, watching as that Urbosa shaped monster screams in pain until the last of the Malice flows out of her body, until nothing but Urbosa herself is left, tall and proud, smiling with a kindness that doubles Link's tears.

"I knew you wouldn't let us down, Link,” she tells him. “Thanks to your valour and skill, my soul is free and Naboris is ours once again. Which means that finally..." 

"No time for that," Link frantically cuts her, wiping tears with the back of his hand. "You must take Vah Naboris and hide somewhere! I don't know how much time we have, but they'll soon notice that Naboris has been freed. You have to keep it out of sight!" 

Urbosa's smile crumbles somewhat, replaced with a frown.

"Why would I do that? Finally we can complete what we started years ago. We gerudo have no tolerance for unfinished business. The time has come for me to take aim at Hyrule Castle. Unless..." 

She looks outside of her Divine Beast, toward what must be the direction of Hyrule Castle, and hesitates. So does Link. How much can he tell her? Robbie said the sheikah did not trust her, for which she must have given them reasons. She's a wise woman, she's his _friend_. She should trust him, shouldn't she? 

"The sheikahs are working with the yigas," Link quickly says, like ripping an bandage. "They want to eliminate you and the other champions so they can pick new ones because apparently you've given them too much trouble. I don't know how they want to do that, but I heard them, they sounded like they had a way to do it. It was Robbie, I heard him talk about it to some yigas, I was there and I heard it myself, you need to hide so they can't harm you!" 

Urbosa's eyes narrow. She pinches her lips. Link braces himself, ready to be told how ridiculous his accusations are. No shouting comes though. 

"Interesting," Urbosa says instead. "I am fully ready to trust you, kid, but I wonder how you came to know this? I can't imagine they would have freely discussed this in front of you." 

_Know_, not believe, Link notes, and the gerudo doesn't look surprised. _That gerudo woman was too curious about the queen's death_, isn't that what Robbie said? It happened years before dead boy was chosen for the sword, so Link doesn't know much about that. His father did, he thinks. He'd heard the word poison whispered here and there, but as with many thing, that sort of conversations stopped if his presence was noticed. Urbosa and Zelda too had secret chats when he wasn't around, and they always gave him suspicious looks if he surprised them, as if they were worried he might have heard something he wasn't meant to. 

Encouraged by Urbosa's readiness to trust him, Link explains, in broad terms, what he saw and heard at the yiga's hideout: Impa's orders, Robbie's willingness to obey it, the cooperation of the yigas. He then stops, unsure how Urbosa would react to cold blooded murder, even when it's deserved. Before he can find a way to explain what he did without passing for a monster, something breaks the silence. 

"That is a cause for concern," says Mipha's voice. "I would never have suspected the sheikahs of such crimes!" 

Link startles, glancing around and wondering if this is another voice only he can hear. Instead he finds an image of Mipha's face has appeared on a screen on the control panel. It's one of four such screens, but the other three show only static. Two must be for the still corrupted Divine Beasts. Perhaps the third is for the sheikah slate? 

"Hello Mipha," Urbosa greets her with a warm smile. "I am sorry we never shared this with you. You were so close to Link and we could not trust him with our suspicions." 

"I know when to keep a secret," Mipha protests. "But I understand your hesitations. I might have said more than I ought to say, just to get a reaction out of him... Please take no offence, Link, but you have changed for the better I think." 

Her image on the screen smiles in apology but Link is too dumbstruck to reply. There's never been any doubt that is entirely unlike dead boy, he's made a _point_ of being different. He always assumed that his old friends would prefer the boy they knew, the one who was quiet and respectful and brave, the one who never hesitated to put his life on the line, who had dedicated himself to Hylia. To still have Mipha's approval touches him in a way he can't put words on. 

"It is nice to hear you speak at last," Urbosa agrees, "and I disliked keeping secrets. Now, to decide what to do about this sheikah plot... And about Ganon. Him and his Malice still need to be taken care of if we want to save Zelda." 

Link bites the inside of his cheeks to keep silent. Zelda is dead, that much he's certain, but no way he'll be the one to tell Urbosa. He knows she adored the princess and treated her as a daughter, more than Rhoam ever did. There will be come a time for Urbosa and the others to learn he couldn't protect Zelda, that he failed as a hero all the way... But that time isn't now. For now, he wants to enjoy dead boy's friends and their good will, just a little longer.

"We can't fight Ganon with two Beasts under his control," Mipha sighs. "Link, it is much to ask, but do you believe you can free Revali and Daruk?" 

"Guess I'll try," Link replies, trying to smile through the unease.

It was unbelievably hard to defeat Mipha and Urbosa whom he liked so dearly, who were like family to dead boy. But Daruk, who acted as a father when the real one didn't know how to handle a son with such a fate? The thought of that kind and easy going voice spewing the same sort of insults the other two Blights threw at him... And could he really kill Revali, even a corrupted version of this boy he loved? 

"They're our _friends_," Mipha reminds him, a warning edge to her voice. "They need help and none but you can give it." 

So she's seeing right through his bravado, like her brother. Perhaps that perspicacity runs into the family. 

"I know that!" Link mutters. "And I don't like that they're suffering, but...I've failed all of you before. I might fail again. So maybe we need to have a plan that _doesn't_ hinge on my being heroic and clever and strong because, again, last time we tried that Hyrule was kind of destroyed and you people _died_." 

Both champions wince at his words, but the fact they don't immediately protest tells him he's right. Link isn't much of a hero, but neither was dead boy, in the end. 

"We will help you," Urbosa promises, trying to pull him into a hug. For a second there's almost contact, but her arms pass right through him. She clicks her tongue. "I am not sure I enjoy being dead too much. It certainly will make piloting Noboris rather arduous." 

"No, we can touch the control panel," Mipha assures her, before giggling nervously. "I suppose that makes us ghosts, haunting our own Beasts." 

Urbosa smiles at the weak joke, or perhaps at the idea that she can still control her weapon and destroy Ganon. 

Ghosts, Link thinks with a frown. Someone told him something about ghosts, long ago. Somewhere green, and he hadn't liked it at the time. Now though... If he could just remember who talked to him about ghosts. It was something about... About death and life and trading and... 

"Uh," Link mumbles. "Maybe it's worth it." 

"Worth what?" Urbosa asks. 

Shaking his head, Link smiles at her, as innocently as he knows how. 

"It's a surprise," he proclaims. "I might have an idea to help Daruk and Revali, but it could be risky. It'd be best if the two of you also tried for your own way to help , just in case I die in a horrible freak accident. It does happen sometimes, and I might not always recover, eh?"

Neither woman appears shocked by the idea that dying is an everyday occurrence for him. Well, they've both killed him a few times when possessed, they've seen what a freak Hylia's gifts have made him. They're ghosts, but he's a monster too. 

"I'd better get going, I have a lot to do," Link says before they can ask any questions. "I'm glad I got to see the two of you though. I missed you. I really did. I feel a little stronger from having met with you."

It's dead boy's emotions of course, not his own, but he also likes these two women and he's glad they didn't reject him for being different from their old friend. Maybe if his plan works, they can become his own friends, in time. Maybe they won't mind when they realise just how different he is, and that the boy they knew really is dead. Mipha smiles at him, warm and looking as if she'd hug him if she weren't on the other side of a screen and dead. Urbosa smirks too, then snaps her fingers. 

"This reminds me, I wanted to give you a little something," she announces, her smirk widening. "Please accept this gift which has come to be known as Urbosa's Fury. It will no doubt be of use to you." 

Once more the gerudo snaps her fingers. The sounds echoes in the large metal chamber until it turns to raging thunder as a bolt of lightning strikes at Link's feet. He feels no pain though, only tremendous power coursing through his veins. Without hesitating, Link moves into a pose he's seen Urbosa take a dozen time, and snaps his own fingers. Lightning fills the room, just as his mouth is full of the taste of magic. For once, he doesn't hate that flavour and laughs at this new trick he can't wait to show Meep. 

"Both you and the princess... I know you have suffered much regarding what happened to us champions," Urbosa sighs, looking down at the screen where Mipha nods sadly. "But this is how things had to happen. No one need carry blame. So please, make it clear so she understands that. Tell her to shed any worries... As should you. I couldn't be more proud of both of you, because I know both of you will do what's right." 

Link good humour instantly vanishes. He wants to shout that trusting him is a mistake, but before he can say a thing, blue light surrounds him. 

"Take care of Hyrule," Urbosa tells him as he starts to disappear. "And take care of the princess." 

"Take care of yourself too!" Mipha shouts. 

Link grins as he's transported away. Dead boy had good friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops, a lot happened in this chapter... I hope that compensates for it being a little longer to happen? I'm hoping for the next update to be there mid-january at most, but that will depend on some parameters I don't fully control so we'll see.


	24. Horned Statue

If Vah Ruta had dropped Link on the bank of the reservoir, Naboris had the kindness of transporting him a good deal further, to safety. All the way to gerudo town in fact, which was rather convenient since that would have been his next stop. Link quickly removes the Thunder Helm and stored it in the slate, before hastily changing in his feminine clothing so he could enter the city more easily. He might as well not have bothered though. The guards are so busy pondering whether Naboris had calmed for good that they barely remember their job. They take one glance at him, recognise him as Muava's little vai, and let him in without questions. 

There is a rumour of whispers in the city when Link gets in. The merchants are not shouting, the children, gathered in small groups, are not laughing. Everyone is exchanging low murmurs and glancing east, as if being too loud might undo the miracle. The only people who do not worry about noise are a group of soldiers Link sees running toward the Eastern Gate. An odd group lead by a young girl in gold and topaz. He avoids being seen by them, and continues his way to Muava's house. 

The old lady is home at this hour, thankfully, and she welcomes him with open arms. 

"Where is your little friend?" she asks, pulling Link inside and trying to make him take a seat. "She's not..." 

"She's fine," Link assures her, doing his best to avoid being pushed onto a chair. "We had to separate for a few days, but I'll meet her again soon. First though, I have something for you. Could you just... Close your eyes a moment?" 

"I'm a little old for surprises, but fine." 

While Muava chuckles, Link gets out the Thunder Helm. He can't give it like that though, can he? It will bring too many questions, and he's in a hurry. Unsure what else to do, Link wraps the helm in his cloak and pushes that bundle into Muava's arms. 

"You can open your eyes, but don't look inside yet," he demands. "Not until I’m gone. When you see what it is, you'll know what to do." 

"Oh, I think I know already," Muava retorts, weighting the bundle with slow, deliberate movements. "You are an odd one, my little vai, but I'm glad I chose to help you. Though of course, I suspect you'll ask me to keep quiet about you?" 

Link hesitates because, quite frankly, he hadn't even thought about that. He should ask for secrecy, he knows the yigas have spies, and if they hear he had the Thunder Helm, they'll guess who killed Robbie and their leader. But they'll figure that out anyway, won't they? There's no getting near Naboris in its rage without protection, and he's the only one who can enter the Divine Beast. 

"I don't want you to get in trouble for my sake," Link decides. "Tell them all that they need, and if they start speaking of rewarding me or something of the sort, make sure they know  _ you  _ helped. I wouldn't have managed without you, anyway." 

"People say the storm has stopped. Did you really..." 

"I only did it because I had no choice," Link cuts her. "You helped me because you're a kind person, that's a lot more important." 

Muava only chuckles, her eyes on the precious bundle. 

"You really are an unusual little vai. And I suppose you're going to leave soon, aren't you?" 

"I have a lot to do. Something to check, far from here." 

"Didn't find your way to Holodrum, hm ? Well, I'm sorry for you. Still, you should stay a day or two. If the Beast has truly been tamed, it won't be long until we have a party... And nobody parties like us gerudo, trust me." 

Link grimaces at the thought. His last party was a half disaster, he blames the zora wine for the way he started feeling about Sidon. The wine, stress, relief, confusion... he'll blame anything but his own weakness. 

"Sadly I'm in a real hurry," Link explains. "Perhaps another time, when Meep is with me, we can have a proper party, but for now I must go." 

Muava doesn't insist. She also doesn't protest when Link comes for a hug that probably lasts a little too long. He's thankful that she doesn't push him away. He needs that after all that happened that day, needs a little closeness. Mostly he wants the hug Urbosa couldn't give him, and Muava too feels like a kind older relative so she's the perfect substitute. 

They leave the house together. Muava goes toward the palace, while Link finds himself a small back alley from which to warp in peace. He hesitates a short moment about that, staring at the slate. His idea is a stupid one, if only because he's never had a clever idea in his life. Still things have worked out so far... And more importantly, he doesn't have a choice, does he? 

With a deep breath, Link presses on the slate's screen and let blue light surround him. He's got to try at least. 

  
  


After so long in the desert, the green of Hateno village is almost painful to behold, as is the humidity in the air. Link regrets giving away his cloak, especially since Muava immediately guessed what was hidden in it. Too late for that now. At least, he still has that doublet he stole from Rhoam all that time ago, and that helps a bit.

Careful not to be seen by villagers and thankful for the darkness of night that hides him, Link makes his way down a small path near a pond. 

The statue is still there of course, just as dirty and unkempt as it was the first time. He can't help a shiver. This can't be a good idea.

"So you have returned," the statue says when Link steps closer. "You have tried to run on your own and failed, haven't you?" 

"Are you spying on me?" 

The statue laughs, a shrill sound that pierces Link to the bone. 

"I don't need to. Hylia's heroes always try to escape, sooner or later. Some even succeeded, when the barrier became too thin or they found other magics to help them. It is too strong now, though. I made sure of that." 

"Yeah? And who are you anyway?" Link asks, before cursing his curiosity. He's not here for this. 

"Before time began, before spirits and life existed," the statue explains, while Link sighs. This is going to be a long story, and he doesn't  _ care _ . "Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. Their names were Din, goddess of power who created the red earth of this world. Nayru, goddess of wisdom, gave the world the spirit of the law. Farore, goddess of courage..." 

"Created all life, yes," Link cuts. "I've heard that story before, like everyone. They left behind the Triforce, went back to the heavens, and left behind Hylia to guide and protect mortals. I  _ know _ . Now, the reason I'm here is..." 

"Hylia wasn't the only guardian they left!" the statue shouts as unnatural cold descends around them, freezing Link to his very soul. "Each of the goddesses had created a guardian for this land, Hylia was but  _ one  _ of them, as was I! Hyrule wasn't yet called so, and it was not yet separated from the world around it." 

"No, that's not how the story goes," Link protests meekly. He… Dead Boy heard it hundreds of times, read it thousands of times. That’s a side effect of having once been so devoted to Hylia: Link knows all of the legends, all of the official myths.

Again, the horned statue laughs, more bitterly this time. "We were created three and created equal, but Hylia held the power of the law and mortals often came to ask for Her judgement. Their worship made Her feel important, more so than us. She started to demand for presents, and those who refused found that law was often against them. Some mortals took offence to this and came to us, the two other guardians."

For a moment the statue pauses. There is a light breeze, like a soft sigh. 

"I failed to see why this could be a problem,” the statue admits, voice heavy with regrets. “But my brother Demise understood better than I did. With those discontented mortals at His side, he rose against Hylia and challenged Her. She, in turn, tried to take possession of the Triforce to counter his attack, only to find we could not yield its power. We three were never meant to. Even without this relic, they fought each other, just as their armies did, threatening to destroy the world. In the end, through trickery, Hylia won and I... "

Another pause. Another sigh. 

"I did not have Hylia's craftiness, nor Demise's daring. My own power was of a different sort. When I saw that my Sister had turned against us, all I could do was protect the world against her. I created a great barrier around the lands wounded by Her war, one through which She would never be allowed to pass. I trapped Her in what would soon be known as Hyrule, and She trapped me in this shape as retaliation, to be freed only if  _ she  _ is."

Again there is silence for a moment, as the statue gives Link time to understand what it has said. It makes no sense though. Hylia, whatever else She might be, is Hyrule's deity, She protected them from evil since the first demon tried to destroy the world. He knows this, everyone knows this. She’s not a  _ kind  _ Goddess, but She’s there for them all the same.

"Wait, then you're the reason I'm trapped here?" Link gasps. "You could let me go if you wanted?" 

"No. If I opened the way, Hylia might escape as well. None may leave." 

"You said some past heroes left!" 

"In a way, though only one ever truly saw this world outside of Hyrule, and the cost of crossing the barrier was so great it soon caused his doom. Most heroes simply found themselves into a different Hyrule, and they did not live long either. The fault, I must add, is not my own. Hylia does not tolerate rebellion, and She found ways to strike those who thought they could escape her. "

Link clenches his fists. That yiga man had said something about that, hadn't he? About heroes rebelling, about getting the hero's soul back from a place of shadow. 

"If She's the evil one, why would She need a hero anyway? You said She won and your Brother who fought Her was defeated! Sounds like  _ someone  _ here is lying!" 

"Only mortals can yield the Triforce, and only that holy power might destroy the walls of Her prison if I do not,” the statue explains with a sigh. “Long ago, Hylia gave some of Her spirit to a mortal girl, some more to a mortal boy tasked with protecting Her, so they might claim the Triforce... But neither used their holy wish to free Her. They also failed to fully destroy Demise, whose soul was kept alive by faithful servants... Though in His fury against our Sister and Her slaves, He lost much of what He once was. He turned His mind to revenge rather than justice. He swore to destroy Her, and all those who took Her side. Hylia found His anger... Amusing. Without a way out, unable to destroy Her fiercest enemy, She saw the chance for a game."

"Ganondorf said something like that. About Hylia and games... "

"Ganondorf caused both of us great problems," the statue notes with some bitterness. "I shouldn't blame him for it, but he came close to destroying the prison I created. Of all the enemies She invented for Herself, he was the strongest. As he would be, when She stole some of my strength to give him, and he carries Demise's rage. But he is what allowed your presence today. She gave him too much, and weakened herself enough for Her other pawns to see through her plans. Since the rise of Ganondorf, many heroes have questioned the slaughters forced upon them. It weakened her further, until Her own chosen vessels escaped Her grasp. "

"Zelda?"

"The one you know was not the first to do so, though she might be the last. Never before did a princess show such spirit that Hylia would rather see Her destroyed. And never before did Her hero reject her as strongly as you did when death found you." 

Link shakes his head. He remembers the rage when he died, and he knows it wasn't his alone but that of generation after generation of young men forced onto a path of death and suffering, resentful ghosts who knew they had been used unjustly. All he did was offer them an outlet. The curse he uttered with his last breath was a joint effort. 

"Do you not realise what you've done?" the statue insists. "Have you still not understood what the spirit orbs are?" 

"They're magic, I know that much," Link huffs. "Listen, I'm not here for a history lesson, and quite frankly I don't care about all that stuff. All I want..." 

"The orbs are fragments of your soul," The statue cuts him frantically. "Or rather, of the soul that all heroes have shared since the very first one. A single soul, reborn dozens of times, imbued with Hylia's power so her hero may always triumph, so death itself won't stop him so long as he has Her favour. You broke this incarnation of her power. You weakened her!"

Link stares, feeling sick. "Are you saying I don't have a soul?" 

He hates how the statue hesitates. He hates the feeling that it makes sense. This is why he’s made all those bad decisions, why he doesn’t want to save people, why he was so cruel as to play with Sidon. Without a soul, he’s worse than Ganondorf’s monsters.

"I cannot answer this at present, but it is likely,” the statue admits. “It hardly matters. Can you not see? It means Hylia's power is within our reach! If I could have those fragments of Her power, I would have the strength to escape this stone prison and challenge Her. She is weaker than She ever was, it would be easy to defeat Her. All we need to do... "

"There's no  _ we _ ," Link hisses. "I'm not here to become another deity's pawn! All I want is to protect my friend and since you said you had the power to bring ghosts back to life, that's all I want you to do!" 

"Well, you certainly have little of a hero in you," the statue replies. "I suppose I can’t blame you for that. But what you want cannot be obtained for free, you realise that? Four powerful souls are not easy things to handle, even for me." 

"Then name your price," Link orders, though he knows already what that will be. 

"Every single spirit orb that was dispersed through Hyrule," the statue states. "As well as use of your body when the time comes for me to confront my Sister." 

The first part Link knew to expect, but the second is a very unpleasant surprise. 

"Isn't the plan for you to become so powerful you can take her on your own? You've just told me I'm an unheroic monster without a soul, why would I help with that?"

A moment of silence. Moonlight cast on the statue gives it an air of embarrassment.

"Demise's champion Ganondorf and your princess have erected a barrier of their own around the castle, to keep Hylia out. I need a mortal vessel to pass it."

“Zelda’s dead,” Link replies, almost automatically.

“She might be,” the statue concedes, which makes something twist in Link’s chest. It’s the first time someone isn’t denying the obvious. He can’t decide if that’s good or bad. “I cannot see inside the castle. But I can feel the power that exists around it, a mix of magic that can only belong to Ganondorf and the Princess. Something of hers survive, enough of her will to anger Hylia and distract her from… whatever it is you’ve been doing all this time.”

That sounds like Zelda to not renounce even after death. It also sounds like her to be so stubborn that even after a century, she won’t bow to their Goddess if she feels it isn’t right.

Link misses her so much, and he won’t betray her by doing what she’s refusing to do.

"Sucks to be you, buddy. And I bet, of course, you wouldn’t restore my friends until I've paid the full price and we’ve beaten Hylia, would you? Thanks, but I'll find my own way, bye. I've done the whole contract with a goddess already, didn't work great for me." 

He takes a step, fumbling with the slate's pouch to take the cursed thing out. 

"I am not my Sister!" the statue cries out, sincere and frightened. "And this would be a different sort of contract. I believe in fairness, though Hylia forgot the word. I have given my conditions, give yours and they will be respected if I can." 

It’s a trap. Link knows it’s a trap. He still looks right into the statue’s eyes.

"I want the champions to be returned to life  _ before  _ your duel with Hylia begins." 

"As you wish. But I will warn you I can only bring them back as they are. I know two remain corrupted, this I cannot undo myself." 

Link curses. So much for his hopes of not confronting Revali and Daruk then. Still, if they can be alive regardless of the statue's mad plan... 

"Fine, I guess that's as good a deal as I can get. How many spirit orbs will you need, then?" 

"All of them." 

"And... that's how many?"

There is a short silence, as if the statue were checking something.

"In total, one hundred and twenty. Oh but you have four already, so... One hundred and sixteen only." 

Another curse. Link had been hoping for a dozen of the things, perhaps two dozen if he were unlucky. One hundred and twenty? That’s crazy, who has the time for something like that?

"How am I supposed to find this many shrines? It's madness, the sheikahs will have killed me twenty times before I even find half of them!" 

"A fair point, and I'd rather get this done sooner rather than later," the statue says, "before my Sister can realise what is happening. Put your sheikah machine before me, I believe I can force it to help us." 

With some reluctance, Link drops the slate on the grass in front of the statue. A soft green glow soon surrounds it and its screen lights on, showing its nearly empty map. It doesn't remain blank very long though. Red dots appear on it, one after the other, peppered all over the map. It's too many to count right now, but Link could guess a number. 

"That is as much as I can do for you," the statue says as the green glow withdraws, and it does sound somewhat sorry. "The rest is in your hands, if you agree to the deal." 

"One hundred and twenty fragments of my soul in exchange for my friends' lives. I agree, yes. Do I have to sign something?" 

"Put your hand on my head." 

Link obeys. The stone isn't as cold as it should be in the middle of the night. If anything, it is about as warm as Link's own skin, which makes for an unpleasant sensation. 

"Let me go first, so you can be sure I will not trick you," the statue offers as that green glow returns, enveloping the two of them. "I, Majora, servant of Din, here enter a pact with the hylian Link. I demand that he brings me every single one of the objects known as Spirit Orb, and lend me his body when I demand it." 

"I, Link, servant of  _ no one _ , here enter a pact with... Majora ? I demand that the Champions Revali, Mipha, Daruk and Urbosa be restored to life and health before Majora takes possession of my body." 

That faint glow around them starts shifting, narrowing until a thin line of green line wraps itself around Link's wrist and Majora's throat. It tightens to the point of pain, burrowing itself into flesh and stone until it disappears, but not fully. There is a thin line of dull green on Link's skin, the same colour a copper bracelet might cause if left on too long. It's hard to say, but Link thinks he can spot a similar one on the statue. 

"Our pact is made," Majora says in a tired voice. "Go, now. You have much to do."

That is quite the understatement. Link bends down to take back his slate, and sighs at the many red dots on its screen. Red means no warping to them. There are less than half a dozen partly blue dots though, and those at least will be easily handled... Or as easily as can be conceived when it comes to shrines anyway. Link has a feeling some of those will prove quite the challenge. 

The clock on the slate announces 2am, Link notices. It has been less than half a day since he's parted from Meep. She won't have reached gerudo town yet, much less the stable, and since he has one hundred and sixteen shrines to visit... Why not start with the one right here in Hateno? 

It feels wrong to step on the shrine's pedestal, as if he were giving in and playing Hylia's game. As if he's giving up. The whole trip down, Link wonders if this is the right decision, if he shouldn't have grabbed Meep and gone to Lurelin until things blow up. Pacts with gods and acts of heroism didn't work well for him last time. And yet, to hug Mipha once more, to chat with Urbosa and Daruk, to see Revali again and be at his side, where he belongs... And how happy will Yunobo be? He'll have his father again if Link does this right, just as Sidon will have his sister back. Perhaps the zora prince will forgive him, at least a little. He doubts Sidon will ever want to kiss him again, just as he knows Revali won't want him since he's not the dead boy, but the thought of these people happy and free is enough to give him determination. 

Doesn't matter how they'll feel about him, anyway. He has a feeling the final fight between Majora and their sister won't end well for him. Well, as long as his friends are well and happy... The only one he might need to worry about is Meep, but he'll figure out something. Perhaps Yunobo might like a second sibling? 

The platform reaches its destination before Link can think of a plan regarding Meep's future. A look around tells him this shrine is different from the ones on the Plateau. He's not going to get a new rune for the slate here, which is too bad. That was the only fun part of this business back then. Here, instead, he's in a big square room that's mostly empty save from a locked enclave where a sheikah monk waits outside of his reach, a red metal circle with a depression at its center, and an odd construction floating above... Nothing. There's a big pitfall of  _ nothing  _ in the shrine, which begs the question of how people managed to dig that far when they're already so deep underground. 

On one edge near the void, there is an odd apparatus with two handles, surmounted by a small screen similar to the skate's. It shows a top view of the platform, revealing there's a ball in it, glowing the same red as the circle just under that platform. When Link moves the handles, the platform moves accordingly and he grins. Well, that sounds easy. Dead boy played similar games in his youth, when the world was kinder and people held fairs in Hateno and Castle Town. All Link needs to do is get the ball to the circle. Easy. 

Or perhaps not so easy, Link curses when for the third time, the ball falls into that bottomless pit. At least now he knows that a new ball is sure to appear. The first time he nearly panicked, certain for a second that he had ruined everything, that he would never get that spirit orb and save his friends. That fear is gone now, although... 

"That was enough of a push!" he grumbles, glaring at the platform. "Stupid sheikahs and their stupid riddles. Nobody ever told me I'd have to be smart, that was Zelda's thing!" 

There is no answer. He does not expect one. With a deep sigh, Link watches a new ball fall (or perhaps the same one, who can say?) and this time he finally manages to make the ball jump to the red circle, shouting when it rolls to the indent at the center of it. As expected, the bars locking the sheikah monk lift. 

Link runs toward that little enclosure, but right before touching the screen that protects the monk, he hesitates. 

"Can you hear me, buddy?" he calls out. "Are you even alive in there? Listen, I just want to say that if you want to get out, I can try to help, just tell me how." 

There is only silence. 

"I guess you can't speak," Link mutters, tilting his head to try and get a look at the sheikah. Their body looks so dried out, he can't even tell if this is a man or a woman. Their face is partly covered by fabric, but the glimpse he gets of their face doesn't help. "I wonder if you chose this. For Hylia's glory, what wouldn't we do?" 

Still no reaction. Link clicks his tongue. What did he expect? For this ancient monk to realise they had wasted their life and their death serving a false goddess, and follow Link in his rebellion? He's still not sure himself how much he trusts Majora's story, and that old sheikah clearly was more dedicated than he ever was, now or before the calamity. 

"Let's grab the goods then," Link sighs, pressing his hand against the barrier. "Give me back my soul, buddy."

As happened on the plateau, a voice congratulates his efforts while the spirit orb appears in front of him. The words are exactly the same that Link is pretty sure the monk isn't actually speaking. He still grabs the orb and quickly shoves it in the slate, refusing to touch it longer than absolutely necessary. 

"May the goddess smile upon you," the voice flatly says as light surrounds him, and Link laughs. 

Whether Majora spoke the truth or not, Hylia doesn't like him enough to throw him a smile. 

Not wanting to bother poor Prima at the inn, Link sleeps in an old abandoned house not far from Hateno's shrine. It was in the process of being demolished when Meep and him last came here. It is still in the process of being demolished. Link's ready to bet that if the world is still there in twenty years, the house will be standing. No offence to the people of Hateno, but they're not very efficient. 

They are earlier risers though, and the workers are a noisy bunch whose chattering and clattering wake Link after too short a night. Not wanting to answer any questions, he warps from inside the house towards gerudo town. Not his smartest decision. The sharp contrast of temperatures kills him. Not  _ literally _ , for once, but it's still a damn pain. He could remove his doublet but that would leave his chest uncomfortably exposed. Unless he puts on his gerudo top, but as he discovered yesterday the thing is a little too fancy, a pain to handle without help. 

In the end, sweating is the better option, Link tells himself as he walks to the city gates. A quick chat tells him the guard haven't seen anyone else come near the shrine since yesterday, which means Meep is still in the desert. Hopefully she's well. She has to be well. Is it too late to change his contract with Majora and demand that Meep be protected too? Link was so focused on dead boy's friends, he forgot to take care of his own. 

With nothing better to do and the temperatures rising fast to an unbearable degree, Link figures he might as well conquer the local shrine too. Already, the process is becoming familiar. Step in, get dragged under the earth, face a stupid puzzle (this time, the theme is electricity and Link gets shocked a few times), open the way. There is however a pleasant deviation in the shape of a chest containing a magic blade. Perhaps those shrines aren't so bad. 

It still takes him an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to get to the monk. It's late afternoon when Link returns to the world above, which comes as a shock. Time is hard to tell down there. To make it worse, when he returns to the city gates, the guards tell him that they saw someone riding a sand seal come near the shrine, rest a little, and head toward Kara Kara. It figures that he'd miss Meep. Stupid sheikahs. 

Since there's no shrine in the oasis, Link knows he won't see his friend until she reaches the Canyon. That leaves him a day or two without much to do, except  _ more stupid shrines _ . The one near Gerudo Canyon Stable is his first stop, and is dealt with in no more than two hours.

After a good deal of hesitation and of staring at the slate, Link decides that he might as well grab one more piece of his soul before calling it a day. Sure it's night now, but that's just as well because the nearest shrine he could warp to is the one close to the yiga hideout. It's a terrible idea to go there alone, he knows it. It'd be worse to head there with Meep though, so his choice is made. That one is an almost fun shrine, truth be told. A lot of things to make explode. Meep would have loved it. Maybe he'll try to get her inside one of those shrines, if she wants to try. Still, it's rather discouraging to realise that after so much effort, there are still so many red dots on his map. Seven shrines done, only one hundred and thirteen to go. 

After a good night of sleep, Link decides to get that number down a little more. Where to go though? There's the shrines in Akkala and... Not much else that he can warp to. Well, there is one more, but he fears what will happen if he goes there so Akkala it is. The three shines he can access there cause no problems (in fact, the one at gut check rock doesn't bother testing him at all, just gives him another magical blade and the orb) and by mid afternoon, he's back in the canyon to wait for Meep. There is still one dot he can warp too, but Link pretends not to see it. He goes to see Horse instead. The stupid animal didn't get sold off sadly, and it still hates Link as much as ever. 

"Not thrilled to see you either," he tells the animal whose ears lay flat against its head. "Don't worry, Meep will soon be here to shower you in love and braids." 

At her name, Horse raises its ears and Link can't help a chuckle. That beast and him might be sworn enemies, but they'll always have one common interest. 

Sighing, Link sits down near the stall and takes out the slate to check the map again. He hopes Meep arrives soon, if only so he has someone to complain to. That, and because there's only one unexplored available shrine, which loneliness is making more tempting with each minute. He fears what's around the shrine though. If he's spotted by some zoras and recognised, won't they warn Sidon? And if they do, if the prince confronts him, what can he say?  _ Sorry I lied to you and pushed our games too far but hey, I'll make up for it by bringing your sister back to life thanks to a pact with a demon so we're even now, right? _

Link huffs. Even he knows how crazy that sounds. Sidon will think it's only another lie and he'll get angrier. Best avoid that, best not return to Zora's Domain until he can find a disguise and do so unrecognised. 

Yet the temptation is there, just to see Sidon once more, to catch a glimpse of his smile. 

Link really is an idiot. 

Before he does something he's sure to regret, Link forces himself to put away the slate and returns inside the stable. He'll grab some food there and walk to the canyon's entrance, he decides. Meep will be grateful for something to eat.

Many hours later, when darkness has fallen and Link is sitting at the foot of the cliffs, near a small fire, he spots to glowing dots in the night. He smiles, and puts an apple to roast. He throws it at Meep when she finally steps into the light. She gobbles it in two quick bites. She also snaps the slate, desperate for water. The new marks on the map give her a second of pause, but thirst is stronger than curiosity at the moment. She swipes the screen toward the inventory and drinks all that's left of their water. With the desert's heat behind them for now, it's not a problem. 

" **Your friend is better?** " Meep asks when she's satiated. 

" **Much better** ," Link assures her. He can't help a smile at the thought. Everything ahead is terrifying, but Urbosa and Mipha are as well as they can be for now, and they've got each other. 

Meep grunts, smiling too. 

" **You look better too.** " 

" **I have discovered a way to become strong enough to save my friends** ," Link tells her. He's too careful in his choice of words, and she can probably pick up on that. " **I need to go inside the metal houses, like on the plateau. When I visit all of them, I'm strong enough to save them.** " 

" **How many?** " 

" **More than a ten of tens** ," Link says with a grimace. " **I have visited some when I was waiting. It's not so hard.** " 

Those are words he's almost sure he'll regrets. Judging by the way she stares at him, Meep thinks the same. Nothing about the sheikahs and Hylia's games is ever easy. 

" **You say the truth?** " Meep asks, something of a warning in her growls. 

" **To you, always.** " 

" **Not ** ** _all _ ** **the truth.** " 

Link shrugs. It'd be lying to deny it. He  _ can't  _ tell her everything though. Not because he thinks she'll betray him and be faithful to Hylia (the very notion is ridiculous) but because she'll worry and try to stop him if he lets her now what he agreed to. He's protective of her, but the opposite is just as true. 

“ **You help?** ” he asks her. “ **You don’t have to. My fight.** ”

“ **Our fight** ,” she corrects, in a tone that implies he’s stupid for doubting her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops, a lot of a dialogues and exposition here. It... only took over 20 chapters to get a chance to reveal that?  
After this, we'll be back to adventuring, weird foods and Link refusing to deal with his emotions, I swear!


	25. Nero Hill

The way to Tabantha and Rito Village is a long one, but they're taking it slow. Link tells himself that's because there are so many shrines to check on the way, which he needs to find and defeat, doesn't he? And Meep doesn't seem to mind, so it's fine.

They don't talk about the yiga who attacked them when they approached a lonely shrine near the canon's exit. They don't mention the fact that if Meep's sense of smell hadn't been so good, she wouldn't have spotted the hidden killer and his twin arrows would have hit her. She was the target. Link stabbed him in the guts and the yiga disappeared with a puff of smoke, leaving nothing behind save for some blood. 

They don't talk either about the fact that the shrine won't allow two people together to enter. At this point, Link is just glad it lets him take Meep when he warps. And when he's done there, he doesn't let fear take hold of him. He's never been so fast at solving a puzzle. Meep is up there alone, with nothing but a stupid horse to protect her. Link has no time to spare. 

After leaving the canyon behind them, Link feels a tension leaving his shoulders. They're far enough from Kurusa Valley now, aren't they? The yigas shouldn't be a problem anymore. 

It might also be the joy of seeing green again. Link is delighted to be back to more familiar landscape. He missed the grass and the trees, he missed not burning in the day and freezing at night. He missed walking around people and not feeling like a fraud, as he did in gerudo city. 

After some days, they get to a road that feels familiar in a way Link doesn't like. In the distance he can see ruins. Someplace he's visited before. A park where Zelda took him and... 

Link steers Horse off the road. It's boring to follow the path anyway, especially when they could instead travel in the wild. It's more like the early days after getting off the plateau. Nothing but grass around. Not a single hylian. They make Horse gallop a while in the plain, just for the pleasure of it. Speed, wind on his face, the sun kissing his skin warmly, the sensation of freedom. He could do this all day for the rest of his life and be happy. 

Too soon, Horse slows down and Link's happy moment is shattered. The green plain opens toward Hyrule Castle. That big ugly building surrounded by dark cloud is a harsh return to reality. Ganondorf waits there, and Hylia and... Link shakes his head, grits his teeth. They can all say what they want, Zelda can't have survived. 

He tears his eyes from the castle and looks west, but the view isn't much better. Even here, even from so far, he can see something flying near the mountains. Barely a dot in the sky, but there is only one thing it can be. The idea makes his stomach turn. Hopefully there will be many shrines on the way, things to slow their travels. For the first time since meeting Revali in another life, Link isn't in a hurry to get to rito village. 

When Horse has rested from its gallop, Meep suggests that they do it again. The terrain allows it, why not have some fun? Link pretends he's not sure if it's good for Horse to make such efforts too often when it carries two riders. Meep is suspicious of his sudden care for their mount's well being, but she sees something on his face and doesn't insist. 

The illusion of carelessness is further destroyed when Link checks his map, and sees the mark for a shrine not far. It's hard to judge when there's no actual map on the screen, but Link figures it must be on the other side of that nearby bridge. It's not the only thing they'll find past that bridge. The instant Horse steps on it, Meep ears perk up. 

"**Music**," she warns. 

Not just any music either, Link notes. He's becoming familiar with Kass's accordion and that relentless melody of his. Before long though, the music stops and there's a loud cry. That's not Link's problem, save for the fact that they're headed that way. He sighs. Why can't he go a few days without problems? 

"**Get your bow**," he grunts. "**We only fight if we need.**" 

Before long, they can see where the cry came from. Kass is hard to miss, blue and bulky against gray stones, having climbed on top of some tall rocks. He's not the only colorful spots though. Two men in red are at the foot of Kass's perch. The bigger one holds a sword almost as tall as him, while the more slender one has a bow aimed at the rito. 

"Where is he?" roars the larger man. "We know you're working with him!" 

"I've never even seen him!" Kass protests, trying to hide behind his accordion. "I'm just a wandering bard, I wouldn't dare to involve myself in yiga affairs! I swear if I had met the Hero Returned, I would say so!" 

The large man makes a gesture for his companion who prepares to shoot at Kass. The only reason he doesn't is because Link has thrown a spear into his chest. 

"Hey guys, looking for me?" he shouts while his fingers hurriedly glide on the slate's screen to grab another weapon. 

The smaller, wounded yiga starts to collapse. Before he hits the floor, a cloud of smoke surrounds him and just like that, he's gone. The bloodied spear falls on the ground with a loud click. 

Link doesn't have time to ponder that mystery, because the bigger yiga is still there and he's very angry. He raises his sword high and brings it down in a gesture so violent it sends a powerful gust of wind their way, one so strong Link and Meep fall down from Horse. 

"**I distract, you shoot**," Link grunts, scrambling to get back on his feet. 

He does that just in time to avoid being sliced in two by the large yiga. The huge man then easily jumps back to avoid being hit by Link's thunder infused blade, but one of Meep's arrows hit his shoulder. 

It doesn't really affect him much. In an instant the yiga is launching himself at Link once more with a powerful strike that sliced through his shirt and skin. It isn't deep enough to cause severe harm, but blood flows and pain courses through his nerves, making it hard for Link to counterattack. The yiga has no such problem. Already he raises his blade again, only to let out a guttural growl when an arrow pierces his mask at the level of his eye. Pushing away the pain, Link takes the chance and stabs through the man's stomach. 

It's hard to judge through the mask, but Link gets a feeling the yiga is shocked by the sight of his own blood. He drops his sword, stumbles a few steps. Then, with another smoke cloud, he disappears just like his friend did. 

"**You're hurt !**" Meep shouts, running to his side. 

"**It's only a flesh wound,**" Link protests, though his legs feel weak and he decides this is a good moment for sitting. 

Anything that doesn't kill him is barely worth his consideration, though the blade was very sharp and his pain is as well. If encountering yiga is going to become a regular thing (as he's sure it will), maybe they need to start buying bandages. 

"If I may," says a soft voice above them. They glance up and remember Kass is there, still half hiding against his instrument. "I'm very grateful for the help, and if you'd like I have some healing elixirs." 

"No offence, but I'm not sure I trust you." 

"I might take some offence to that, actually," Kass retorted. "If you did not notice, they tried to kill me before they tried to kill you."

"I guess. Why, anyway?" 

Judging that the danger has passed, Kass comes down from his perch and searches through a pouch until he finds a vial of red liquid. 

"For talking to you in that stable some weeks ago. Apparently, we were seen... And I'm guessing you did not heed my warning to be mindful of the yigas?" 

"Maybe it's them who should have been mindful of me," Link mutters darkly. "What are you doing here, anyway? It's a desolate place, no wonder someone attacked you."

Kass shrugs, and hands the vial to Link. 

"My work takes me where it takes me. There's an old rhyme about this place, do you know? Once, there was a shrine dedicated to Hylia here, or so it is said." 

Link freezes in the gesture of opening the vial and hands it to Meep so he can check the map instead. Sure enough, they're right on top of a red stop, though there's nothing around. 

"I hate sheikahs," Link mutters. "Can't things be straightforward once in a while?" 

"Where would be the fun in that?" Kass asks bitterly. He hesitates, looking at Link, then at Meep. "I should perhaps mention, of course, that I'm technically under contract for Lady Impa of the sheilah. Ah!" 

Before he's done speaking, Link's sword and Meep's bow are pointed at him. The rito winces and raises his hands slowly. 

"Work is work!" he protests, his soft voice quaking. "It is hard to refuse working for the sheikahs, especially when you have a family. You must understand. Aren't you doing the same?" 

Link doesn't lower his sword. 

"If that attack was just a ploy to get my sympathy..." 

"An inefficient way to get it when I was the one to warn you sheikahs and yigas work closely," Kass reminds him. "And I have little use for your sympathy. Not all yigas know who they're working for, nor do all sheikahs realise what sort of allies they have. I myself only know because my all master was a renegade sheikah." 

But not a false one like the yigas, Link assumes, or Kass would say so. Still he keeps his sword pointed at the rito's chest. 

"I don't care about your tragic story," he spits. "Lately I've had enough of _those_ to last me a lifetime. Just tell me why the sheikah hired a bard, and why I keep meeting you everywhere!" 

Kass doesn't answer right away, and instead tilts his head as if to get a better look at Link. 

"They gave me a list of locations in Hyrule, and told me to share certain rhymes with whoever would be willing to hear them. You would be surprised how few people that has been, since most of the places they sent me to were... fairly deserted. And yet, twice now you found me in such places. Fate really cannot be escaped."

"What's fate to do with this?" Link asks, finally lowering his sword. Not because he trusts Kass, but because it's starting to feel very heavy. 

"My master ran from his duty. He told me once that it would have been his mission to guide the hero through certain puzzles, but he'd grown to resent his own people. Now, with him dead, it is his student who must finish what he abandoned." 

There is a hint of anger in Kass's usually measured voice. If he's telling the truth, Link feels for him, forced to play in a game by outside forces... If he's telling the truth. Link isn't sure who he can trust anymore, save for those who have proven themselves. 

"How many locations do you have to visit?" 

"Seven including this one and the place of our first meeting, and then I can finally return home." 

Link sighs. Of course, of course the sheikahs make things complicated as often as they can, uh? He puts away his sword, though Meek keeps her bow in hand. She's even less trusting than him apparently. 

"Ok, fine. I'll help you go home then. Give me the stupid rhyme." 

"_When a single arrow threads two rings, the shrine will ride like birds on wings_," Kass recites. He looks around, pensive. "Do you think the rings in the song refer to these oddly shaped rocks? I have been here a few days and I can't help but wonder." 

The rocks in question are a bunch of hollow out stones scattered all over that side of the cliff. So it's just shooting through two at once? Sounds easy. 

"Can you also give me the rhyme from last time? I would have listened back then, but I wasn't sure if you were an enemy..." 

The '_I'm still not sure about that_' goes unsaid, but the way Kass looks at him tells Link he guessed as much. Well, he's not here to make friends anyway. He’s got too many of those already, and at the moment they’re just making his life complicated. Still, the rito dutifully shares that other riddle too, about a dragon’s jaws, and crosses something on a paper map.

“Can’t you tell me all of them at once?” Link complains. “Then you could go home quicker, right?”

“I could, and I want to. But I saw my master die for his refusal to play by the sheikahs’ rules, and I won’t let my daughters be orphans. Between my principles and my family, I’ve made my choice.”

“But…”

“We’ll meet again, Hero Returned,” Kass cuts him with a resigned smile. “You’re headed for Rito Village, aren’t you? Then pass my greetings to my wife Amali, let her know I’m doing well.”

Reluctantly, Link promises. He’s still not sure he likes Kass. He’s sure he doesn’t fully trust him, but that’s fine because he gets the feeling Kass doesn’t want to be trusted. Why else tell him so much about the way he’s working for the sheikahs?

After Kass leaves, Meep and Link lose hours trying to find two stones they can shoot an arrow through. Curse the sheikahs for all that lost time. And yet, Link is grateful for the delay. Every time his eyes wander in the direction of Tabantha and fall in that distant flying shape, his chest constricts. That's a destination he's in no hurry to reach, so maybe there's a good side to all those stupid shrines and their stupid puzzles. 

They meet another yiga on their way to rito village, and though bloodless, that meeting puts Link on edge in a way none of the other attacks did. 

It happens a few days after their encounter with Kass, on a sunny morning. Everything so far has been quite pleasant, they've been following the road as its winds through hills and odd rocky formation that look like mushrooms. Link even makes a joke about wanting to try eating those. It's easier to be in a good mood here, where Vah Medoh is usually out of view. 

As they come near a fork in the road, Link spots a fellow traveller ahead, a young hylian woman on foot. Nothing odd about that, even in such remote places there's often merchants going from stable to stable. This time though, the woman starts waving her hands when she sees him, so Link pulls on Horse's reins to come closer to her. 

They're close enough to see the woman's features when Link feels Meep tense behind him. She sniffs intently a few times. 

"**Problem?**" 

"**Enemy!**" She hisses. 

Meep snatches the reins from his hands and spurs Horse in, sending it into a wild gallop for a few minutes, ignoring a loud shout behind them. She doesn't let their mount slow down until that fork in the road is far behind them. 

"**I saw no enemy**," Link complains when they return to a normal pace. He doesn't actually doubt Meep, but he almost fell when Horse sped up and that dampened his mood. "**We should have warned**," he adds, thinking of that woman on the road. 

That gets him an angry grunt. 

"**She is the enemy**," Meep growls. "**Man in red."**

"**Are you sure?**" Link asks before he can stop himself. 

Of course Meep is sure. Her nose is so powerful she can spot buried truffles from a distance. She can tell if a river has fish before they even see the water. It's still a shock when she nods firmly, taping her nose. 

"**She looks normal**," Link complains, all too aware how whiny he sounds. 

It's not enough that monsters want to kill him, that there's yigas popping out of everywhere. Now he must also be wary of other travelers? But he likes chatting with the people he meets on the road! They always have some gossip to share, some dish to make him taste. It hasn't been uncommon for Meep and him to share their fire with a fellow wanderer, the fear of stalfos enough to make anyone fine with being near a live bokoblin... And almost every time, the two of them and their companion for the night had found ways to chat, language barrier be damned. 

But if there are now hidden yigas passing themselves as ordinary people... 

Feeling his distress, Meep gently pats his shoulder. 

"**We avoid**," she promises. "**I smell, we avoid.**" 

Link nods. He knows with Meep at his side he has nothing to fear. They protect each other. And besides, those yigas aren't so terrible to fight against, so who cares that they're everywhere? Link will gladly kill them and steal what they drop behind. 

His smile returns, weaker than before.

They never again stop to chat with a traveler on the road. 

When they reach Tabantha bridge stable, Link finds himself unwilling to mingle with the people there. Kass said that they had been seen at the Canyon's stable, and he's heard the yiga speak of a spy in gerudo city. Suddenly, nothing feels safe, even when Meep swears she can't smell any yigas. If not for the fear of stalfos, Link would have elected to sleep outside the stable, especially once he spots Beedle. The merchant, much like Kass, is everywhere. Who's to say he's not the sheikah's spy? Or maybe it's the entire stable network that's in their power, which would explain how they survived when everything else crumbled. 

Link doesn't get much sleep that night. He holds on to Meep as tight as he dares, because right now she's the only thing he can trust. 

Crossing into Tabantha doesn't help Link's mood. Some of it is the danger they encounter on the road, everything from wolves and bokoblins to fricking flying guardians and, on one terrifying occasion, a Talus that they only escape because it scares Horse and sends it galloping like its life depends on it. Which, all things considered, it kind of does. 

Mixed with those very real risks are a number of dangerous thoughts. Link has come here before, back when he was someone else. Some turns of the road bring vivid images of a blonde girl who still hated him at that time, though dead boy was already starting to realise he was just a substitute for the hatred her father has earned. She's dead now, or mostly dead, but Link almost feels her presence. Wishful thinking and nostalgia. 

That's not limited to Zelda. Of course, the closer they get to Rito Village, the clearer they can see Vah Medoh. Link finds himself avoiding to look up, the sight of that big metal bird intolerable to him. He doesn't know how he'll get up there. He doesn't want to get up there. Dead boy's memories tell him Revali always had a sharp tongue when he was alive, so Link can only imagine the sort of horror he'll have to hear from his corrupted lover before he's forced to murder him. 

Sleeping is hard these days. Link doesn't want to think about it. Doesn't want to think about the nightmares. 

Still, they make steady progress. Horse is a valiant little mount if nothing else, and there's not much to distract them on the way. Not even a single shrine to stall for time. Hyrule is covered in the bloody things according to the sheikah slate, but there's not a single one on the path they're taking toward Rito Village. Hounded by memories, Link would give anything to have one of those stupid sheikah riddles to solve, something to occupy his brain a little while. 

In the absence of shrines, Link figures maybe a tower could be a passable way to lose time. 

That's not what he tells Meep, of course. He's not supposed to lie to her, so he find some truthful excuses to go toward that stupid tower. It'll make travelling easier if they have a map. He'll get a good view of the land around him from up there. 

"**It is guarded**," Meep points out, sniffing the air. "**Bokoblins. Moblins. Something else, smells like the blood moon. Something bad.**" 

"**We fight those before**," Link boasts, though that unknown smell worries him a bit. "**If you don't want to fight, ok. I go alone**." 

"**Squirrel brain. You're bad alone.**" 

Link can only grin at that, glad as always that she has his back.

He’s even more glad when the two of them start climbing the hill and he realises just how well guarded it is. There’s more monsters than he’s ever since in a single place before, and they’re very well organised, with barricades spread so they cover all directions, over several levels.

Tough as the fighting is, something about it is easy. Bokoblins and Moblins don’t cheat and pretend. When they first approached, Meep asked for them to be allowed to pass, it was refused, and now they’re enemies. It’s simple and clean, nothing like the sheikahs who lie and pretend, the yigas who disguise themselves to trap people.

As the get closer to the top of the hill, Link realises that he might have been a bit quick in calling this a clean fight when he discovers Malice oozing on the ground, something in it burning the grass around. It's the first time Link sees it outside of a Divine Beast. The sight is unpleasant, and he wonders how many more places might be infected. 

Meep points at the blackish goo and growls. "**This! It smells of blood moon!**" 

"Malice," Link grunts in hylian, before returning to their common language. "**Don't touch it! It is very bad. Touching hurts and kills.**"

Link inspects it carefully, until he spots the eye and points it to Meep. She shoots without hesitation and the Malice dies, freeing the way for them. 

When they reach the top of the hill, there's more Malice to be found, a full lake of it that surrounds the tower and makes it unapproachable. It's the first time Link sees so much of it and for some reason, it makes him a little sick. He's not sure who created Malice between Ganondorf and Hylia, but it was a real bastardly move. Link can feel the evil intent of it, and knows without a doubt if Meep or him were to touch it, they'd be corrupted. He knows it because it's what happened to the champions, to his friends. The only question is how much contact with Malice is enough to get that result. 

For the very first time since waking up on the plateau, Link doesn't want to experiment and satisfy his curiosity. 

While he ponders the nature and corrosiveness of Malice, Meep spots its weak point and shoots that yellow eye. They're both disappointed when it's not enough to cleanse the whole pond. Only a fraction of it evaporates, the part that was wrapped around an old column. Malice must be corrosive in more than one way, because that column falls against the column without the Malice keeping it in place. 

"**A bridge**," Link notes. "**Nice. We go?**" 

Meep shakes her head. She looks up at the tower, and spits on the ground. 

"**Too much climbing. Horse is alone, maybe there are more enemies**." 

"**Maybe they ate him**," Link agrees, nodding wisely. That gets him a punch in the arm, which is fair enough. "**You go back to Horse. I inspect tower quickly and I come too. Yes?**" 

That plan is accepted, though Meep doesn't glide down until Link has crossed over the pool of Malice. It's not like she could have saved him if he'd slipped from the fallen column, but Link appreciates it nonetheless. 

It takes a little while to climb up the tower. Link's arms burn from the effort, and he has to constantly focus on what he's doing, where he's putting his hands and feet, how far to the next platform where he can breathe a moment. It clears his mind in exactly the way he's been craving. Then, after an interminable time, he reaches the top of the tower. 

The sharp cold up here is painful, like a thousand needles digging through his skin, something he hasn't felt since his days on the Great Plateau. It's deeply unpleasant, and yet Link does nothing to fight it because it makes him feel alive in a way he hasn't in a while. 

From here, the view is simply stunning. He can see the tall rock needle that harbours rito village, still far in the distance, and the Hebra mountains further behind. He can see Vah Medoh circling a territory his pilot use to love so much he did not hesitate to give everything for it, even his life. And, not so far, Link sees the edge of the world, with green plains extending beyond it. 

There's a whole world out there, one untouched by the devastation of a bored Goddess's games. One that, after Majora deals with Hylia, the people of Hyrule might be allowed to discover at last. Not Link, he's going to die, but perhaps others will be free in the way he never can.

He's going to die. 

The thought has been in a corner of his mind since the deal with Majora, but here, wrapped in winds so cold they burn, Link finds he can face that idea easily. He's going to die.

So what? Everyone does! And he set out on his journey with Meep knowing that it would end after a few years at best due to the threat of Ganon's destructive desires. It didn't stop him from having fun before. Hyrule is still vast, there are still so many things to taste, so many stupid risks to take with Meep at his side, pretending she doesn't approve of his crazy ideas yet always following him. 

Link activates the tower, and climbs down to meet his friend again, his heart light once more. He's going to die. Better make the best of the time he does have, then. 

Meep is waiting for him at the foot of the hill, pampering Horse and keeping an eye on the tower. She smiles at the sight of him, but Link finally notices a nervousness in her that has been present for a few days. He doesn't like that he got her worried, and promises himself he'll do better from now on. 

"**Let's keep going**," he says with a grin, one that's not forced in the least. "**It's a long way. You think we find nice food?**" 

Meep smiles back.

They'll handle this, yigas and all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter probably has more spelling mistakes and forgotten words than usual, and I apologise. It was vzry hard to write for some reason, and I struggled a lot with what little editing I did on it.  
To keep it short: having yigas start appearing in the game changes a LOT of things and after months of playing without any yiga, the change was... Hard to deal with lol. I really wanted to reflect how that might impact Link since it hit me so hard, but I didn't enjoy it.  
At least, next chapter should be more fun! We'll finally get to rito village which is only one of my favourite places in the game!! I've started writing that, and plying that area got me very chocked up several times because wow, I love Revali a lot lol


	26. Rito Village

The vision of Lake Totori in early morning light is so beautiful it takes Link's breath away. Softly coloured lights hit the high island and the rock needle in the center. So long as Link doesn't let his eyes wander too high, it's the most picturesque thing he's seen in a long, long time. Meep whistles in admiration. Horse is unimpressed, but that might be because they're forced to leave it behind at a stable again and it doesn't like separation from Meep. 

No choice though. Rito village really isn't suited for horses. The rope bridges that lead to the high islands probably can't take that much weight, judging by the way they sway under Link and Meep. 

They're on the second bridge when they meet their first rito. A guard by the looks of him, who glares at Meep but doesn't instantly attack, so that's something. 

"Good day," he dryly greets them, his eyes never leaving Meep. "Did you need something?" 

"Yes, we are humble researchers and we seek to enter rito village. And you are?" 

The rito's eyes narrow as he studies them. Link likes to think he looks more like a researcher than ever before, though that mostly means the clothes he's wearing are a little less worn out and tattered than usual. It's cold in Tabantha so he's started wearing the doublet stolen from Rhoam more often, and it looks rather dignified. More than his too short, sleeveless old shirt anyway. 

"I'm Gesane of the rito," the other answers. He hesitates. Sighs. And starts to recitate: "The rito of Lake Totori. Where the men are fine archers and the women better singers." 

Link blinks a few times, then glances at Meep. She's just as confused as he is. 

"It's a saying for tourists," Gesane grumbles. "You being a hylian, I'm surprised you haven't heard that before. Anyway are you... Both going inside?" 

"Would that be a problem?" Link asks, already moving himself in front of Meep to act as a living shield. He doesn't remember that much about ritos, not yet, but they are a people of warriors... Or at least they were a century ago. 

Right now, Gesane just shrugs like they're not worth the hassle. 

"No, go right in. You came all this way, right? I'd go with you and give you a tour, but I have to go on patrol. Ask Mazli at the gate and he'll take you around if he has time." 

Link thanks the guard, and finds himself grinning as they continue making their way to the main island. This is what dead boy liked about the rito! They're confident warriors but more than anything they're... Relaxed. Zoras are formal, hylians are a headache, gorons are hard working and gerudo are traditionalists, but the ritos are just _ chill _ if there's no direct threat. 

Well, most ritos anyway. Revali never got that memo and tended to be pretty intense about everything. He was... 

Link shakes his head. Not now. 

Now, they are reaching the entrance of Rito Village, built all around the rock needle. It's a pretty unique place, different from hylian villages. Link is excited to share with Meep one of his favourite places ever, to see what's new and what remains of the old. There's a guard on the first set of steps. Link smiles at him and raises his hand to get his attention. 

A loud, piercing shrill comes from the heavens, like the nightmarish death cry of a wounded bird. Against his will, Link finds his eyes drawn to the sky. High up there, far above even the tip of the needle, Vah Medoh glides over the village. Link shivers. There was always something unsettling about that Divine Beast. It can land if needed, but Revali always kept it flying and out of reach of everyone, especially the sheikahs. It's a hovering threat, inaccessible and armed with deadly canons. 

A hand in his brings him back to reality. Meep is there, a comforting presence as always. 

"**Okay**?" she asks. 

"**Not, not oka**y," Link answers, finding it impossible to lie this time. "**Up there, my friend is prisoner. A very good friend. Like...**" he hesitates, and sighs. "**Good friend like the fish man.**" 

The hand on his squeezes gently, and Meep lets out a little trilling sound of sympathy. However much Link has denied his connection to Sidon, she knows what he means. 

"**We save**," she promises. "**Good team. We save all your friends.**" 

Link smiles, wiping his eyes from nearly spilled tears. He'll have to tell the Champions about Meep, about her efforts to help him. If he's doing all this for them, surely they can take care of her when he's gone. 

For now, Link shakes off his fears and waves his hand at the nearby rito guard. 

"Hey, are you Mazli?" 

The rito barely glances at Meep before he nods. 

"Are you a traveler?" 

"Yes. Some guy named Gesane said you'd show me around if needed, and..." 

"It's not really a good time," Mazli cuts, looking up at Vah Medoh. "Did you see the beast in the sky? That's divine beast Vah Medoh. It showed up a while back." 

Link pointedly doesn't look at the sky. "Yeah, looks a bit scary, uh?" 

Mazli nods grimly, his eyes still up. "The rito warriors who flew up to check it out where shot down. They say it used to be a divine being that protected the village, but it doesn't seem very divine to me." He looks down, and sighs. "Thankfully, the thing only shoots at anything flying high up above the village. But still... It is pretty demoralising for us rito to have to fly so low to the ground." 

Link grimaces, remembering how Revali loved nothing more than to push himself always higher, sometimes until he was barely visible. None of the other ritos could go as high as he did, but they still all took it as a matter of pride to try. If it's still true, it must piss them off royally. 

That almost makes Link laugh. It's really like Revali to attack people's pride. 

"Where should I go if I'm looking for local gossip?" Link asks. "I'm a researcher and I investigate..." he hesitates, and realises none of his previous excuses work anymore. "A number of things, really. I'm kind of between projects at the moment. Maybe I'll try to take a look at the beast thing, sounds interesting." 

"You'll have troubles, it never lands. But you can always ask Teba, he knows a good deal about it. Or the Elder, he's very wise. Or just hang out around the Landing, there's always people there." 

The Landing Link somewhat remembers from a century ago. That Teba must be a local scholar perhaps, if he knows a lot about the Divine Beast, and Link will try to visit him later. First though, he'll go see the Elder. Ritos are easy going most of the time but they have their pride, and if he tries to help without being invited to do so, it could get... messy. 

"The Elder, where might I find him?"

"Last house in the village. Can't miss it."

Link thanks Mazli, sticks out his tongue at a little statue of Hylia right at the village's entrance, and they start making their way up. It is, after all, the only way to go. Link remembers how dead boy found it odd at his first visit, the way the village was nothing but one long street wrapped around the rock needle, how Revali had explained it made it easier to defend against enemies on foot when the rito could fly and harass them from all directions. Link is now trying to offer that same knowledge to Meep, oddly happy that he can share these things Revali had once told him. 

When they pass by the inn, Link hesitates. They'll probably need a room for the night, but even from the street he can spot some hylians inside, thanks to the rito's open architecture. Meep assures him that she can't spot anyone smelling like a yiga, but he's still unsure. He remembers Kass, hired by the sheikahs, the mentions of a spy in Gerudo Town, and wonders if there might be others like that. 

"Oh, a new tourist? We don't see those a lot lately!" 

Link turns and sees two ritos a little further up, observing Meep and him with some curiosity. 

"Having a bad season?" Link asks, already knowing the answer. "Is it that big beast up there?" 

"Eh. We were just chatting about that monster in the sky. You know, divine beast Vah Medoh. Turns out a long, long time ago that thing was on our side." 

"Really?" 

The second rito nods emphatically. 

"Right. A long time ago, the champion of rito village, Revali, tamed that beast and used it to protect the village. According to the elder at least. And I believe him!" 

Link grins. That's _ bullshit, _ Revali didn't tame anything, he was chosen by Vah Medoh after some challenges, like the others. It sounds like something he would say though, just to make himself look greater... And to piss off dead boy who would have known the truth. 

"So the story goes," the first rito sighs, looking up. "But why did it start attacking us now?" 

"They say it's happening everywhere," the second says. "My cousin went to Zora's Domain not long ago, and they almost got flooded because of a Beast like that. They say a hylian saved them and tamed it. Heard anything like that, traveler?" 

The grin on Link's face falters. They can't know it's him, there's hundreds, thousand of hylians out there, and he knows he doesn't look heroic in the slightest. Nobody can guess at the truth, but this is still uncomfortable. 

"I've not been keeping track of the latest news," Link lies, as if it's really possible to miss those red lights in the sky, aimed right at Hyrule Castle. "If it's true, I guess it's kind of neat? Giant beasts bothering people, that's bad for everyone's business for sure. Speaking of business, how much further to the Elder's house?" 

The ritos tell him and Link continues on his way while they resume their conversations about mysterious heroes and returning evils. It's a little upsetting that rumours of his exploits have already reached this place, but Link doesn't mind so much. It'll be easier to convince the Elder to let him help that way. 

The way up the village is long, but not unpleasant. Link continues playing the guide for Meep who indulges him and listens patiently. They stop for food (unflavoured meat, plain but hearty) and keep going until, at long last, they reach the very last house of Rito Village. Inside Link sees a child reading a book on the floor, and a huge, very dignified looking rito who is... sleeping. There's no way that rito isn't sleeping. Link hesitates to come in, but the child inside spots him and motions for him to come into the house. 

"Elder, you've got a visitor!" the little chick cries out when Link passes through the door. 

The huge rito is startled awake by the shout, blinking a few times before his sleepy eyes fall on Link. 

"Ah, a visitor. Welcome to..." A yawn interrupts him a moment. Again he blinks a few times. "Forgive me, where are my manners? I'm Kaneli, elder of rito village."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Lin...k. Link. That's me," he sighs, knowing there's little point in hiding. The ritos won't accept help from just anyone, so he might as well check what happens when he just tells the truth for once. "And this is my associate Meep. We're here about the Divine Beast," Link explains, taking out the sheikah slate, hoping here too the memory of it remains.

It seems it does, because Kaneli's eyes go wide. 

"Is that not a sheikah slate in your hand?" the rito asks, looking more hopeful than anyone has a right to be at the sight of that stupid slate. 

"Yep, it is." 

"Oh my! That means you must be a champion like master revali - one of the few able to board divine beast vah medoh!" Kaneli exclaims, which also gets an impressed gasp out of the child at his side. Almost instantly though, Kaneli's expression darkens and he mutters to himself. "No... What am I thinking... The champions have all been dead for a hundred years. This boy must be a mere descendant... An inheritor of the sheikah slate." 

Link stares and blinks. 

That's _ such _ a good excuse, why didn't he think of saying that when Sidon found the slate? They could have parted with less anguish, if Link had just had a little more brain!

"Ah forgive me, Champion descendant," Kaneli says once he's done figuring out the situation. "If you would listen to this old man's request, you would have my eternal gratitude." 

"Honoured Elder, we will listen," Link replies with a quick bow, encouraging Meep to do the same.

"Thank you. Truly. Now that I know you the blood of a champion, there is something I must ask of you. How shall I put this... I would like you to deal with Divine Beast Vah Medoh," Kaneli explains, lifting his wing towards the roof. "The giant beast circling above us. Only a chosen one, a champion, can stop a divine beast. You must enter the beast and bend it to your will." 

Link nods. Right, that's classic stuff at this point. He's done this twice already, and he can guess where it's going. There's some sort of system protecting the Divine Beast, he'll have to deactivate it and get on board. Typical. His real question is how to get close to that flying machine of doom that's gliding higher than the fricking hebra mountains. 

"I tried explaining this to the more headstrong rito warriors," Kaneli sighs, "but they wouldn't listen to reason. Teba and Harth tried to confront Medoh but it did not go well, and Harth was injured. Teba escaped unscathed, but I fear he now plans to face Medoh alone." 

_ Well, of course they tried it if you told them they can't, _ Link wants to say. The only thing more determined to prove his heroism than a rito is two ritos. They're a chill people, until something comes up and suddenly they're all unyielding warriors who do not fear death. How could Kaneli not realise that saying 'you can't do this' would be taken as a challenge? 

"As a descendant of the champions, perhaps you can help us," Kaneli pleads, and Link does feel a little bad for the Elder who looks so very worried. "Please. Find Teba. If you work together, you may be able to stop divine beast vah medoh." 

"I'll try my best," Link promises. "Where can I find that Teba person?" 

"Here or there. He leaves close-by, try his house perhaps? Otherwise Harth might know something. I haven't seen him in a couple days though, and he might have just... gone already." 

Well, it couldn't have been easy, could it? Link wants to curse, but instead he very politely thanks the elder for his time, and leaves with Meep. 

It takes him a moment to notice the way she's staring the slate still in his hand. 

"**The stone**," she says carefully, "**it is very important?**" 

"**Magic**," Link replies, stunned by the odd question. Meep has always been appreciative of the slate's functions, so she knows that. 

"**But _important_,**" Meep insists. "**You hide it always, but you show it today, bird man likes you. Very important?**" 

Link hesitates. "**Very important. Only one. People see it, they know what it is.**" 

Meep nods, still staring at the slate, then holds out an open hand. 

"**Give me?**" 

Although the conversation is odd, Link doesn't hesitate a second before dropping the slate in Meep's hand. He's let her play with it countless times before, and she carried it their entire time in the desert. She never took it back after Vah Nabooris, which Link took as a sign that his friend knew he wouldn't leave again, but if she wants to carry it once more he doesn't mind. 

With the slate now in hand, Meep stares at Link, tilting her head to the side the way she does when she's curious about something. Without a word Meep puts the slate back inside the pouch on Link's hip, then pats his shoulder. 

"**Good friend**," she says, her grunts a little squeakier than usual. "**Good friend. Ok. Now we look for other bird man?**" 

A little confused by whatever just happened, Link just nods. 

They've only taken a few steps down the street when a rito woman approaches them. Link knows enough about ritos to tell that she is exceedingly pretty by their standard, or at least by what their standards were a century ago. She also looks very distressed, her feathers slightly out of place as if she hasn't been preening properly. 

"Forgive my intrusion," she says in a soft, melodious voice, "but I overheard you speaking with the elder. My name is Saki and... it sounds like you intend to help my husband, Teba, in the fight against Medoh?" 

Link and Meep both nod eagerly, struck by this good luck. It's the downside of rito architecture that privacy doesn't exist, but for once that served Link's purposes pretty well. 

"We're looking for him yes. Is he around?" 

The sadness in that pretty woman's face only deepens. 

"To tell the truth, there's not much I can do for you right now beyond telling you where my husband went. He headed to a place called the flight range. It's in Dronoc's pass at the base of the Hebra Mountains." 

Link nods again, a little breathless. Those names are all familiar. The Flight Range... Didn't Revali half live there, at least until he was chosen by Vah Medoh and made it his new home? 

"It's a place where rito warriors prepare for aerial combat," Saki explains, mistaking Link's nostalgia for confusion. "I imagine he's gone there to gather weapons for another run at Medoh. As it happens, he made his way to the flight range on foot this time. If you take off from Revali's Landing, it's a straight shot down to the flight range." 

"I'm... Revali's _what_?" 

Saki smiles, and points at a platform further down the street, only partly visible from where they stand. It's an old enough platform that already existed in dead boy's days, except back then it was called _ Hebra Landing _ since it has a clear view of the mountains. It seems they've renamed it since dead boy was here for the last time, and it makes Link's heart twist in a way that's both extremely painful and not wholly unpleasant. Revali did always dream of fame, of leaving a mark... 

"Revali's Landing is a memorial for the rito champion, Revali..." Saki sighs. "So named in the hope that none might forget the events of that horrible day... We never thought those events could happen again." 

"It's been stopped before," Link retorts, still staring at the landing. "We'll stop it again. It's just a big dumb machine." 

Revali would kill him for insulting his precious Divine Beast this way, but honestly Revali is going to murder him a few times anyway so Link doesn't care. 

"It's very dangerous," Saki protests softly. "It managed to hurt our partner Harth, an expert flyer and archer. I... I have no right to ask this of you, but I wish if you found Teba, you could tell him to just come home. We need him to raise Tullin and Molli , and another attack on Vah Medoh might..." 

"We won't let any harm come to him!" Link exclaims as he grabs Saki's wings, while Meep chirps determinedly at his side. "We'll find him and get him home!" 

Right after he gets us to Vah Medoh, Link doesn't add. They will need all the help they can get to reach that stupid thing. Curse Revali and his need to be above everyone else. 

It's odd to step on the Landing. It's _nostalgic_. Honestly though, everything about Rito Village is, although the Landing feels special. Link isn't sure, but this might be where dead boy first met Revali. Looking at the symbol on the floor gives him flashes of memories. A taunting voice, a cocky attitude, a mutual dislike that melted away after a little time when they realised they weren't so different. 

Link hates how hard it's becoming to push away those memories of someone else's life. He hates how the smallest thing can trigger them at this point, how they'll fall on him one after the other if he's not careful, linked together like a chain tying him down. It's happening again, right now. Visions of this first meeting call forth the memory of being together with the champions while Revali boasted of something until Urbosa teased him, which leads to a memory of her teasing Link in front of Zelda, to an argument with the princess, to Mipha telling him not to take that dislike personally, to Daruk comforting him about something, to...

As often, it's Meep's hand on his arm that brings him back to the present. 

"**We save your friend,**" she promises. "**We go to the mountains, yes?**" 

Link nods, walking to the edge of the platform. It's a long flight to the other side of the lake, and Meep can't swim so if she falls... 

If she falls, Link has bombs and Hylia's blessing. It's been a while since he died, but he's still ready to do what's needed. 

"**Ready?**" he asks. 

Meep looks down at the water, probably considering her own mortality. It warms Link's heart when she nods, in spite of the danger. 

They jump together, gliders in hand. It's as exhilarating as always to be in the air like this, even if it brings a new onslaught of nostalgia. Revali taught him to fly, here probably... but with the glider to control and Meep to keep an eye on, it's easy to focus on the present this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting this, and for the shorter than usual chapter (at 3k it's short for this fic, but it'd be average for any other fic of mine xD)
> 
> I've been sucked into another fandom and haven't made much time for botw lately, oops? But I'm not abandoning this, least of all when I'm finally getting near my favourite asshole bird! I'm just... Going to be a little slow at updating.


	27. Vah Medoh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for some violence

This is probably their longest flight since leaving the plateau. Link's arms are aching by the time they land, his hands shaking from gripping the glider for so long. It's not a bad pain but it's pain all the same, and it's a relief to land at last. 

**"Next time we walk,"** Meep complains, stretching her arms. 

Link just grins because they both know he never misses the rare chance he gets for gliding, and Meep doesn't hate it either. 

They start heading in the direction he remembers being that of Revali's shooting range. Sometimes dead boy's memories are useful, though Link wishes the boy had warned him of how stupidly cold it is in the mountains. Even with his doublet, Link feels the cold piercing through his skin, almost reaching to his very bones. He envies Meep who isn't troubled in the least by the temperatures, while she clearly looks worried for him. 

**"Lips blue,"** she points out.  **"Not good colour."**

Not a good sensation either, Link wants to retort, but it's kind of hard to speak. It's a relief of sorts to reach a shrine halfway to the Flight Range, because for some reason the temperature is always the same down there. He doesn't like to leave Meep alone even for just one night, but it's that or freezing to death. 

After a few hours of warmth which he uses to sleep and get another fragment of his soul back, Link returns to the surface. The cold feels even worse for some reason, maybe because of how quickly he goes from warm to freezing this time. 

They're close though, he's sure of it. Something about this path feels familiar and tugs at his heart in a way he tries to ignore. He's been here before, he's seen these rocks, climbed this way. In the end, Link is almost grateful for the painful cold. It provides an efficient distraction from the memories. 

Then at a turn of the path, they're in front of the Flight Range. It looks exactly the same as it ever did, an isolated little cabin standing over the cliffs that surround a lake. For being a hundred years old and so far away from the village, it looks in great condition. People must still be coming here often. Link has to wipe tears before they freeze on his cheeks. Revali, in spite of their failure, has left a mark. 

When they reach the cabin, Link and Meep find a fire burning inside although the house seems empty. Link falls to his knees and cries as he tries to warm up, and this he can blame on pain rather than emotion. Getting sensation back into his fingers and toes is absolutely excruciating, like being burned alive. In a way, it feels worse than the cold did. 

While Link checks that no part of his body fell off, Meep grabs the slate to make them some food. It's almost comfortable, if one can pretend to ignore the raging winds outside and the snow that's starting to fall. Link would almost feel worried for this Teba person but... No, ritos can handle such weather. Revali teased him about that, taking his resistance to cold as another proof of his superiority. Dead boy had argued against that, but Link thinks Revali might have had a point. 

Before he can dwell too long on memories that aren't his, Meep shoves some roasted meat in his hands. It manages to be both burnt and undercooked, but it's warm and filling, which makes it the best thing Link has ever tasted. When he's done eating, he lies down near the fire, just so he can continue recovering from that harrowing trek in the cold. He closes his eyes, promising it is just for a second, but falls asleep to the sound of the raging wind. 

* * *

What wakes him, much to his chagrin, is the sensation of someone shaking him insistently. He tries to push away the attacker (his sister perhaps? She always mocked him for oversleeping and liked to tease him, back before the sword) but no amount of pushing and groaning is enough to save him. 

The room is a little darker when Link opens his eyes. Night has fallen outside, which means his little nap must have lasted a few hours. Bent over him, Meep looks somewhat worried, even as he sits up. 

**"You slept a lot,"** she accuses. 

**"Hard day,"** Link points out. He's still surprised he didn't lose toes to frostbite. 

Meep nods, reluctantly conceding that he has a point. She then points at something behind Link, toward the cabin's other entrance. 

**"Birdman arrived when you sleep. Not happy, not angry. He says nothing."**

Link turns around. On the platform that hangs over the lake, a pale shape stands out in the dark night. Link jumps to his feet and walks onto the platform... Only to quickly step back inside, where the wind can't reach him. This cold weather is  _ madness _ , and it's enough to almost make him miss the desert. 

"Hello there!" he calls out, desperately hoping the wind won't cover his voice. 

The rito, who is sitting with his back to the cabin, stops whatever he was doing. He slowly turns his head to look at Link, giving him the most judgmental glare of his life since waking up. Even old king Rhoam hadn't looked so disdainful.

"Yeah?" The rito says at last. "I don't know you and I'm actually pretty busy here. You should probably go."

"Well, actually..." 

"Did you need something? I'm  _ busy  _ here," the rito insists, turning a little more to reveal a bow on his lap. A real, beautiful bow, the likes of which only ritos know how to make. 

"I'm... I can help you," Link explains, unable to look away from the bow. It's been a century, but he's seen others like it before. The shape hasn't changed in all this time. It hasn’t needed to. You don’t mess with perfection, Revali would have said, so proud of his work.

The pale rito sniggers. "Help me? With what exactly?" 

Link shakes his head. This isn't the moment to fall into nostalgia. He's here for business.

"It's about Vah Medoh. I can..." 

The rito interrupts him with a snort. 

"Let me get this straight... Some random hylian wants to help me bring down divine beast Vah Medoh? I'm not buying it. What's your name, stranger?" 

"I'm Link." 

"Link, uh? Well, Link, I'm Teba. But you already knew that," the rito says, showing no sign that Link's name is familiar to him. "I'm guessing the Elder asked you to come here and talk some sense into me. Am I right?" 

The words are said with such aggravation that Link can't help a smirk. Teba makes it sound like he cannot understand why anyone would oppose his crazy plan. 

"You're right. He seemed pretty worried about you." 

Teba scoffs. "Just like the elder to trust any fool wandering into town. Look, you seem like an all-right guy, but let's make one thing clear: I'm not going anywhere. As a rito warrior, I can't rest until my people are safe. There's only one way I'm going back to rito village."

For some reason, Link is reminded of Sidon's determination, his dedication to his people, his readiness to try anything to protect them. It's not a pleasant thought, so he quickly pushes it away. 

"And that is..." 

"Once Divine Beast Vah Medoh falls from the sky," Teba announces, as casually as if he talked about shooting a duck for dinner. "If I have to kill Medoh... So be it. Only then will I return to the village." 

"Ok. Then let's get started," Link retorts. 

The reaction that gets him is not the one he expected. Rather than to get angry at the unwanted help or start a tirade about working alone, Teba stares at him with round shocked eyes.

"Are you  _ serious? _ Ah! Well far be it from me to talk you off the ledge. But it's as the elder said: the only way to stop divine beast vah Medoh is to get inside it," Teba says, clearly embarrassed to admit this crucial flaw in his plan. "Fat chance of that happening. There's no way we can set foot in Medoh." 

He looks so despondent that Link can't help find it adorable. He thinks Revali was like that too, always so proud and talking big, until someone pointed out to him why his ideas wouldn't work. Unlike Teba who looks a little ashamed, Revali usually got angry... Unless it was Zelda pointing out the flaw. He respected her, Link thinks. Or perhaps he pitied her too much to pick a fight with someone who already had so much to deal with. 

"Actually, I can get inside that big chicken," Link announces, forcing away the memories. 

"So not only are you wingless... You're brainless too," Teba notes, as if  _ he  _ weren't the one planning to attack a machine he can't approach. "Let me fill you in: the only people able to enter the divine beasts are the five champions of old. And unfortunately for us and the rest of Hyrule, they all died a hundred years ago. If it hadn't been for Ganon..."

For a moment, Teba pauses and looks up toward the sky. In the dark it's hard to see anything, but Link knows what he's looking for. If he squints, he can make out the shape of Vah Medoh gliding above them, a shadow devoid of stars. 

"Never mind," Teba sighs. "Let's focus on bringing down Medoh... One step at a time." 

Link narrows his eyes. Is that foolish rito really thinking about trying his chance against Calamity Ganon if he survives the fight against Vah Medoh? As if anyone could do that! Even just beating a Divine Beast would be a miracle, so going after Ganon... 

"You look like a strong flyer," Link notes. "Do you think you could take me up there? I just need someone to drop me on Medoh. I can handle the rest, but getting up there is... complicated."

"You don't look like you're handling much," Teba replies. "Dressed like that, I don't know how you made it this far. And the rest... If we approach Medoh recklessly, its cannons will blast us out of the sky before we even get close... So I'm going to need to test you before I take you with me. I'll give you until tomorrow morning to decide if you want to try."

"No need. I  _ will  _ try, I know that. I  _ have  _ to do this." 

The faster Link gets on Medoh, frees its pilot and runs to the next Beast, the less he has to linger in this place too full of memories. Sadly, his enthusiasm does not impress Teba. 

"It's late, and I can't see in the dark. No way I'm testing you if I can't be sure you're doing this right. You probably need the rest anyway. You were passed out pretty good when I arrived." 

Link feels his cheek heat up a bit, which he blames on the cold. That might not even be just his denial, either. Even though he's hidden from the wind, he's too far from the fire to really profit from its warmth and he's starting to really feel it. It will be hell to get to Vah Medoh in these temperatures, but he’ll do it anyway.

"It's just that we had to walk a lot to get here," he grumbles. 

"So did I, and I need to sleep now. Make yourself comfortable with your little friend. There should be blankets somewhere, since we get the odd hylian here and there. I think there's even hylian clothes. I'll let you borrow them, either to try my test or return to the village."

His tone makes it clear which one he thinks is more likely. In fairness, if Link had a choice, he would  _ not  _ be playing games and passing tests. He'd be running to Lurelin, and settle there as a guard with Meep, and eat fish for the rest of his life, and...

But there's no choice. Dead boy's friends depend on him. So do Sidon and Yunobo. So does  _ all of bloody Hyrule. _

"Fine, we'll talk in the morning then," he sighs. "You're not getting rid of me that easily." 

Turning up his nose, Link returns near the fire. It's nicely warm there, and since Meep has already dug up those blankets Teba mentioned, it's pretty cosy too. Wrapping himself in a heavy and colourful quilt, Link feels alive again. 

**"Birdman helps?"** Meep asks, snuggling up against him, burrowing into the quilt until only her nose peaks out. 

**"I make him help,"** Link promises, trying to contain a yawn. 

He's come too far to give up. After all, Revali waits for him. 

* * *

Teba looks mildly impressed when the very first thing Link does upon waking up is ask for details about his test. 

The second thing Link does is put on the thick clothes Teba hands him. They smell a little dusty, but they're very warm, comfortable, and pleasantly easy to move in. It shouldn't surprise him, he figures. The rito are skilled artisans, no matter the domain.

Now that he's no longer in danger of dying the instant he steps outside, Link is ready to face any and all challenges Teba has for him. 

"We rito warriors use the updraft in this ravine to hone our aerial archery skills," Teba explains, taking him on the platform. "The updrafts are so strong here that a person could just open up a cloth over their head and float up easily." 

"You mean, like a glider?" Link asks, producing his from the sheikah slate. 

Teba startles, not at the sheikah magic but at the sight of the paraglider and the crest on it.

"You're an odd kid," is Teba's only comment, his eyes stuck on the glider. "Now let's see what you're capable of. You'll have to maneuver through the air and destroy five of the targets set up in this valley." 

"From the platform?" Link wonders, full of hope. 

"You think you'll have a platform up there?" Teba mocks. "Come on, it's not that hard. Most rito kids can do it before they're half you size." 

That is only because ritos have an innate talent for magic which few hylians share. Of course Link is one of the lucky few, but Teba can't know that. Nor can he know that Revali once taught him that time splicing thing that give rito warriors such an edge in battle. Link has never really used it since reactivating the electricity on Vah Ruta, but in theory he  _ can  _ do it. 

**"You want I shoot?"** Meep asks behind them. 

The offer would be tempting, but they both know she's only being polite. Teba can't take both of them, so Meep will be left behind again. Link doesn't like it, but there's little choice. He shakes his head, prepares his bow, and jumps over the edge. 

The winds above the lake are strong indeed, enough to keep him afloat without ever going down. They also rock him around a bit, but nothing he can't handle. It's easy to maneuver the glider until he's in a spot where he can see several of the targets at once, and then it's just a matter of focusing. Slowing time takes tremendous effort. The first four targets are fairly easy to hit, but he misses the fifth one a few times because his arms are trembling from exhaustion. He does hit after a few tries though, and hears Teba shout for him to come back. 

When he lands on the platform, the rito is looking at him differently. Link thinks he's sort of smiling, though it's always hard to say with ritos. 

"You're... A skilled archer," Teba concedes. "It was as if time stopped with every arrow you let fly. I've got to tell you Link... When you first showed up, I thought someone was pulling a prank on me." 

Link grimaces. "Yeah, I don't blame you." 

Teba nods. Ritos are naturally tall but even for a hylian, Link doesn't look like much. 

"But after seeing you handle that bow, I can tell you're the real deal. You must have seen a battle or two." 

"I've... seen a few," Link admits. He's not sure if those battles count when he lost all the important ones. He's not even the one who fought them anyway, that was all the dead boy. Of course he’s gotten into a few fights since waking up, but those he only won through the help of others or sheer luck.

"Don't be modest," Teba scolds him. "I can tell just looking at you. Link... I feel I've heard the name somewhere before..." 

"It's a very common hylian name." 

While that's true, Teba doesn't seem too convinced by that explanation. Link wonders if the rito have kept his memory alive the way they did Revali's. He hopes not. Unlike their Champion, he's done little to be proud of. 

With surprising diplomacy, Teba doesn't insist on the subject of his identity. There are more urgent matters at hand. 

"Well if you really want to help me bring down Medoh, it's now or never," the rito announces. "We've got to do this while the weather is clear. I'll get you into position so you can give its cannons all you've got. We'll have to use bomb arrows for that, but I still have a few left. Should be fine. Now get ready kid, and then we can go." 

Preparations are quickly dealt with. Link trades his shitty bow for one of the slightly less bad ones that belong to Meep. He engulfs some food, hugs Meep tight, reminds her to not take risks while he's gone, leaves a few weapons and some food for her... and that's it. He's as ready to do this as he'll ever be. 

When he returns to Teba's side, the rito is looking up toward the machine in the sky. 

"Why are you doing this?" he asks. "Why risk your life to bring down Medoh?" 

Link hesitates. The truth isn't something he can say out loud, not when he has no idea who is a sheikah spy and who isn't. He glances behind at Meep, and finds her looking at him anxiously. That, at least, is something he can talk about. 

"I guess I just can't stay out of it. What am I supposed to do, let people get hurt? I'm not a hero but... I guess  _ someone  _ has to do something, you know?"

Teba doesn't answer right away. His eyes remain on Vah Medoh, dark and threatening against the clear blue sky. 

"You can't just sit and watch innocent people be terrorised?" he says, sounding angry but not at Link specifically. "That's fair enough." 

He doesn't say more. There is nothing more to be said, when Teba probably believes neither of them will survive this. Link envies and resents his courage. He would not be doing this if he had a choice, but this world is filled with idiots who would throw away their lives to do what's right. He wishes they had been chosen instead of him, since they’re a better fit for this. Then wonders if dead boy was like them, before the reality of his fate hit him. 

Some questions are better left unanswered. Speculating won’t change anything. For better or for worse, Link is the chosen one, and he'll have to make the best of it. 

* * *

The speed at which Teba flies up is amazing, and yet it still takes them many long minutes to get to Vah Medoh's level. Under them, Hyrule is small and looks like a child's plaything rather than a real place. Not that Link looks down very much. He's never minded heights so far, but this is just too much. Whenever he glances at the ground, he finds himself wondering how long it would take him to hit it, should he fall. How painful that death would be. He's nearly sure he'll get an answer to that question before this whole thing is over, but he's not in a hurry to try it out. Instead he focuses on the giant machine in front of them. Vah Medoh glistens in the sun, but not as much as the other Beasts did. When Teba takes them close enough, Link realises that a large part of Medoh's surface is covered in greenery. It looks almost like a garden. Revali would have liked that, he thinks. 

"All right, it's show time," Teba shouts, the only way to be heard over the powerful winds that surround them. "Man, even I feel like I'm going to freeze up there."

An understatement. Link would be dead without the clothes Teba gave him. Even like this, his exposed face is burning from the cold. 

As they get closer to Vah Medoh, something activates inside the Divine Beast. Four flying cannons come around it and together they deploy a screen of red light around Medoh

"It has its barrier up again," Teba grunts, sounding annoyed but unsurprised. "What a pain... What's wrong Link? Too scared to talk?" 

"Too cold!" Link hisses. His jaw is clenched so hard it nearly hurts. Hopefully it'll be better once he moves and gets his blood flowing again. 

"Let's go over the plan," Teba shouts. "You see those cannons? I'll draw their fire. While I'm doing that, use your bomb arrows to destroy the cannons. Got it so far? Don't bother aiming for anything covered by Medoh's barrier. It's impenetrable. And whatever you do, don't get close enough to touch it."

It's a very stupid plan, but no worse than what Link has done to get close to the other two Divine Beasts. Hylia doesn't want courage, she wants  _ recklessness  _ and constant proof of blind faith in her mercy. Link has plenty of the first and none of the second. Something tells him that Teba is the same as him. He seems prepared to die for his village, but furious that he might have to.

"I'm ready !" Link tells him. 

"All right. Go blow up those cannons!" 

Releasing his grip on Teba's neck, Link lets himself fall a few seconds while he gets his paraglider out. As Teba warned him, the winds here are strong enough to lift him up easily. All he has to do is direct himself toward the first cannon. When he is close enough, Link pulls back the glider and lets himself fall again. It's a sickening sensation. His every instincts tell him to do  _ something  _ but he fights them until he's at the level of the cannon. Then and only then does he take out his bow to shoot twice at the cannon which breaks apart under the assault. 

Somewhere above, Teba shouts some words of congratulation. Link doesn't pay attention, too busy grasping his glider again to stop that awful fall. 

The second cannon goes much the same, except that Link panics a little less. For the third cannon he's starting to feel confident. 

That's why he makes a mistake. 

When the third cannon gets blown up, the barrier around Vah Medoh flickers for a moment. Link sees it as a chance to be taken and tries to fly toward Vah Medoh, hoping to make it inside without taking down the last cannon. He almost succeeds, but at the last moment there's a surge of power and the barrier comes up again, hitting Link with a blast of power. It feels like lightning and his body goes limp as he's pushed back. 

Link falls. 

He falls, his body too light and unresponsive. Teba, busy distracting the last cannon, doesn't realise what's happening. Link falls and falls and  _ falls _ , convinced he'll die like this. 

He doesn't want to. It'd hurt too much, he can't bear the idea of it. Although the shock was intense, Link fights his unresponsive body until he can get a good grip on his glider once more. He nearly cries from relief as the falls stops and he starts going up again.

When he reaches Vah Medoh again, Link gets the sensation that something isn't quite right with the way Teba is flying. It's hard to say when the rito flies around this fast, but he wonders if that last cannon might have found its mark. If so, it's his fault for messing around, of course. He should not have let Teba stay to help. Not that there's a force in the world that can make a rito change his mind, of course, but he should have tried, he should have... 

There'll be time for guilt later, Link tells himself. Now is the time to destroy that last cannon. 

He does just that. With that final cannon gone, the barrier dissolves quickly, for good. Link starts aiming his glider for a landing platform near the tail of Medoh. Before long, Teba glides to his side. 

"Bad news Link,” he grunts. "It looks like I got hit pretty good back there. I think... I think I need to get back to the Flight Range."

"Ask Meep to help you!" Link shouts. "She looks scary but she'll help you!" 

Teba doesn't look too convinced by the idea. Or perhaps he's just in too much pain. His right leg is scorched, blackened feathers showing skin turned a disturbing red. 

"I just hope that... I can make it back..." Teba pants. "You head down to Medoh. Good luck. It's all you."

Link watches him go, feeling both relieved and worried. It's not as if Teba could have actually followed him inside of course, but... he just hopes that the rito makes it back to Meep. He has a wife and children, doesn't he? Link's incompetence has already killed too many people, he doesn't want the list to get longer. 

When Teba is no more than a dot far below him, Link finally lands on Vah Medoh. 

Immediately, something feels different. Back on Vah Ruta and Vah Nabooris, there had been a sense of familiarity which is now absent. He has been inside Medoh before but... not often. No more than once, he suspects. Revali was fiercely protective of his Divine Beast after all. 

To make it worse, Link gets the vague sensation that dead boy, on that singular visit, had paid less attention to Medoh than to its pilot. As a result, it is a little awkward to find his way around Vah Medoh. It takes him far too long to realise the terminal that contains the map is inside the machine's head. And of course it doesn't help that Vah Medoh is covered in Malice, far more than the other Beasts were. Some of it Link can eliminate, but a lot of it just lingers there, oozing on the walls and the floors, forcing him to navigate around it. 

Perhaps that thing thrives in the piercing cold. Or else (and Link chuckles at the idea) it is just a manifestation of Revali's ever charming personality. Either way, Malice is everywhere, and Link must deal with it to activate all the terminals. Then all that's left is the main control unit, on the roof. 

It's  _ easy  _ to get to the roof. There's giant mechanical fans at a few key spots that could easily lift him up. Link confidently steps toward one of them, ready to glide up... And stops. 

There's no hurry, he tells himself. He's done fairly well in this Divine Beast, far better than in the other two really, so he only has some scraps here and there from falling when Medoh took a turn too abruptly. 

Still, it wouldn't be good to rush. He checks those scraps, half hoping they might need tending. They do not. Then he looks into the slate to see what weapons he has left. There's still a good collection of bomb arrows in there, which might come in handy. One or two swords too, if it comes to that. And shouldn't he eat something? He only had an apple for breakfast because he was in a hurry to get this on the way. 

He should eat more. 

He can't. 

Link looks up, glancing at the little bit of greenery he can see hanging from the roof. He knows what awaits him in that pretty little garden. He knows he's not ready for it. 

He knows he'll never be ready for it. 

Still, it must be done. Gathering was little courage he's capable of, Link jumps into the artificial updraft and lets it take him to the roof. 

It really looks nice up there. The grass is a vibrant green, there's a multitude of wild flowers in all possible shades, something right out of a painting. Square in the middle of all that, there's the main control unit, ruining that picturesque landscape. 

Next to it stands Revali. 

He's shorter than Link expected, almost a full head smaller than Teba, in fact. His eyes aren't as soft as in dead boy's memories, most likely because that boy was lovestruck when Link is impartial and reasonable and not in the  _ least  _ aching to plunge his fingers into black feathers to pull Revali close, never to let go. 

So the only reason Link steps forward is because he needs to reach the control unit, nothing else. 

"Well now. I've seen that face before," Revali sneers, his voice warmer and younger than Link thought it would be. "I had a feeling you would show up eventually. But making me wait a hundred years is a bit...  _ indulgent. _ You're here to wrest control of Medoh away from Ganon, correct?" 

No, I'm here for you, Link wants to reply. He can feel dead boy's despairing longing burning through his chest, the need to run to this boy whom the ghost inside him loved so fiercely.

Thankfully, before Link can embarrass himself, a large gaping wound opens to the side of Revali's head. Copious amounts of Malice ooze from it, covering his body. With Mipha and Urbosa, something of their shape remained even after being corrupted. It is not so with Revali who looks nothing like himself. His face is covered by a thick mask. One of his wings turns into sharp claws while the other becomes a cannon nearly as large as the ones that protected Vah Medoh from intruders. 

It'd be easy to attack that monstrous thing, if only it had not kept Revali's voice. 

"I always knew you were unworthy of that sword," the creature says in that warm, soft voice. "I am so grateful I will get to kill you at last. It's all I've ever wanted since first meeting you." 

It's a lie, it's the corruption speaking, but the words hit hard anyway. Link alone would be affected, but he carries with him the guilt and love of the dead boy who inhabited his body, and to that boy Revali's hatred is a torture. 

When the cannon lets out a blast of energy aimed at him, Link is powerless to dodge it. It burns right through his chest, a sensation not unlike the one dead boy felt when he died and broke his soul. 

Link isn't afforded the comfort of truly dying, and he has no soul left to shatter. Instead he blinks, and finds himself standing again, that same cannon still aimed at him. He wants to run or beg for his life, but his body doesn't respond. 

He is brought back a second time, but the phantom pain lingers in his chest. 

It takes effort to shut down the dead boy's heartache, but Link manages just in time to avoid being killed again. He runs to hide behind the control unit, and hears Revali laugh on the other side. 

"Still running from me? And here I thought you'd come and give me a kiss! Haven't I waited long enough? Come here, pretty boy, let's have some  _ fun  _ together."

Gritting his teeth, Link readies his bow with a bomb arrow which he releases from his hiding spot. When it hits the creature's eye, he feels triumphant for a second. 

A second. 

Then he hears a cry of painful agony,  _ in Revali's voice, _ piercing right through him. Dead boy's instincts take over. Link jumps out from behind the control unit, ready to run toward the one he loves. 

He finds himself face to face with the opening of a cannon. 

"You're so stupid," he hears before his head explodes. 

With this, he is back in the open. Somewhere in a corner of his mind, dead boy is sobbing and raging, but he's getting easier to ignore by the minute. Link isn't the one in love after all, and even if he were, that thing isn't Revali who could be mean, but never cruel. 

This  _ isn't  _ Revali. 

If he repeats it enough, it'll be easier to kill him. 

A game of cat and mouse starts. Just like in the fight against Mipha, Link figures the only safe place is behind the control unit, which the cannon's blasts can't even scratch. 

Unlike the fight with Mipha, Revali has a way to counter it by summoning flying drones that can deflect his blasts and make them reach his blind spots. Link has to constantly move if he doesn't want to die again, releasing bomb arrow after bomb arrow. Most of them miss because he's shaking from nerves and exhaustion, and he’s half sure he’s going to run out of them before the fight is over. He doesn’t know if regular arrows will do any damage, and Revali has never once come low enough to be hit with a sword.

Then, by sheer chance, one of the bomb arrows happens to hit inside the cannon just as it was about to release another blast of energy. The explosion it provokes is so intense that for a few seconds, Link cannot see nor hear anything. 

When his senses come back, it is to the sound of Revali's deathly screams reverberating through this ruined garden. It takes all of Link's self control to stay away, but it could be another trick. Even when silence falls, he doesn't dare go check. 

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Link falls to his knees. He can't keep fighting. Revali can kill him a thousand times if he likes, but Link cannot hear him cry out in pain like that again. 

"Well I'll be plucked," says a voice above him, colder than before but still as soft. "You defeated me, eh? Who would've thought..."

Link's head snaps up. He started crying at some point but even through the tears, it's clear that Revali is back to normal. 

"Well done," the rito mutters, as if it hurts him to admit this. "I suppose I should thank you now that my spirit is free. This returns Medoh to its rightful owner!"

Revali takes a pose, just as ridiculous and self important as he ever was. Link resents him for not changing, and loves him for staying the same. 

"Don't preen yourself just for doing your job," Revali sneers, clearly unconcerned by the lack of response. He must be used to dead boy's silences. "I do suppose you've proven your value as a warrior. A warrior worthy of my unique ability. The sacred skill that I have dubbed Revali's Gale!" 

With a viciousness that Link isn't prepared for, Revali hurls a ball of magic his way, propelling him into the air. Link doesn't have time to grab his glider before he's falling again, landing on his stomach. 

Seeing this, Revali's act crumbles. There's no more bravado or self assurance as he rushes to Link's side and tries to help him up. 

"What's wrong with you anyway?" Revali asks, sounding concerned. "We've done worse than that while sparring!" 

"He has suffered from his long rest in the resurrection shrine," Urbosa's voice announces, coming from the terminal. "His skills are a little rusty. And he knows about the sheikahs now." 

Revali's eyes harden at the news, but he still helps Link back on his feet before going to the terminal. 

"I thought we had agreed not to tell him about that," Revali hisses, leaning toward the screen. "What happened to 'we can't prove it anyway'?" 

"He figured it on his own," Urbosa retorts. "He found out they want to eliminate us for being too unruly. I'd be curious to see them try." 

Revali looks shocked and worried when he glances at Link, who in turns can't help feeling betrayed that the rito knew something and never told him. Apparently whatever existed between him and dead boy wasn't strong enough for full trust. 

If he could, Link would find it funny that Mipha was judged incapable of keeping a secret, but Revali had Urbosa's confidence. As it is, he's too tired and shaken to find humour in the situation. 

"We'll give you an update on the situation later," Urbosa tells Revali. "For now, there’s other matters to discuss. Link, there is something wrong with your slate that prevents us to contact you from the Divine Beasts, as we should be able to do. I think the sheikah blocked some of its functions. We've been trying to get in touch with you since you left Naboris but nothing would go through. I will try to see what I can do from a distance, but of course without our expert it will be a hard task. Until then, you're on your own."

"Nothing new there," Link snaps. 

"Link, don't say that," Mipha protests softly. "We're with you, in spirit at least. And you know we would all stand at your side if we could! We miss you, Link." 

Somehow, Link manages to smile. It's not him she misses, but it would be cruel to tell her that. Once he has all the spirit orbs, it won't matter anyway. 

"What is  _ wrong  _ with him?" Revali asks again, a sharper edge to his voice. "Something isn't right. Just look at him!" 

"We can't see him," Mipha points out. "The terminal's camera is..." 

Before she can finish, Revali strides toward Link and pulls him toward the screen, releasing him with such force that the hylian nearly stumbles against the control unit. 

"Just look at him!" Revali snarls, waving a wing to point at Link’s clothes and hair. "Even in the middle of training he never looks that neglected! And you say he knows the sheikahs are assholes? We've tried to hint at it before! He always went on hours long rants about Hylia's will no matter what we said, but now suddenly I'm supposed to believe he's fine with it? And don't get me started on the way he fought against me just now!"

"I did my best!" Link protests. 

"Don't insult me," Revali hisses, glaring at him. "You've trained with me, I taught you how to shoot better. I know how good you are! You should have killed me in one shot." 

"Well maybe the thought of killing you at all made it hard! You're my friend! What sort of a monster would I be if I could try to kill my friends without hesitation?" 

The three Champions say nothing. Revali's feathers are ruffled with emotion as he glares at Link who dares not look at the screen. From their silence, he guesses that Mipha and Urbosa must sport similar expressions. 

"I just thought he was more like before the sword," Mipha admits hesitantly. "He was nicer then, when he was a child. I didn't question it because..." 

She trails off. Link can guess though. He remembers what she said last time: that he had changed, and for the best. 

What sort of a person even  _ was  _ that dead boy that his friends are shocked he'd find it difficult to murder them? That they prefer Link over him, even though they’ve barely had a few minutes with him?

"What's my favourite food?" Revali suddenly asks. 

"What?" 

"Just answer. What's my favourite food." 

"If this is about checking if I'm really me, shouldn't you ask what my favourite is instead?" Link protests, crossing his arms. 

"Irrelevant. You could have figured that out by accident. Also you are  _ boring  _ and your favourite is fresh apples, of all things. Now say what's mine." 

Somehow, it's shocking to hear that dead boy even had a favourite food. He seems the sort that would refuse to even consider these things. And as he is now, Link would be hard pressed to pick one. There's a few tastes he has hated in all the things he's tried, but nothing that was so delicious he could elevate it above the rest. His favourite food is  _ everything. _ And Revali's is... 

"Roasted frogs," Link says with a lack of hesitation that surprises him. "But they're hard to catch and you don't like wasting money on that." 

For a second Revali's eyes soften, and he looks more the way dead boy's memory made him seem. 

"Fine, so if you're a fake, at least you're a well made one," the rito quickly grunts, turning back to the screen. "Still think something is weird about this. We'll see about that later. You still have work to do, pretty boy, so better get to it." 

"Only Daruk is left to free," Urbosa notes. Link finally dares to look at the control unit's screen, and finds her smiling without a trace of uncertainty. "You are doing well. Don't mind those two. Change is inevitable after what you went through, but your heart is still the same. I trust you." 

"Oh, I trust you too!" Mipha quickly squeaks. "I know you're still the same person, I can tell from your eyes!" 

"And I trust you about as much as I ever did," Revali adds. "That should tell all you need to know." 

It doesn't, because Link understands what existed between the dead boy and Revali less than ever. He can feel that ghost's devotion and desperate longing. Dead boy's memories told him most of that was returned, at the moment there is not even a hint of fondness in Revali's eyes. Either dying by his fault has put an end to what existed, or the dead boy was deluded all along. 

"Never mind, just go," Revali sighs angrily, waving one wing in his direction. Golden light surrounds Link. "Your job is far from finished, you know. The princess has been waiting an awful long time." 

Link cannot think of anything to answer to that. It's too late, anyway. The golden light has already taken him away from this rito who may have once loved someone who wasn't him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahahah it only took 27 chapter and over 100K for Revali to FINALLY be in this fic orz  
It's not the last we're seeing of him, and it won't take another 100k before everyone's favourite asshole bird is around again, I promise!
> 
> Also, thanks for all the confinement induced comments! I can tell y'all must have been pretty bored to start reading this monster of a fic!  
I hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe. Those are difficult times, but we will make it through this so stay hopeful!! :)


End file.
